Inklingo

dígale

DEE-gah-leh/ˈdi.ɣa.le/

dígale means Tell him in Spanish (Formal command to a third party (him/her/it).).

Tell him, Tell her, Tell [formal you]

Also: Say to him/her/you (formal)
Verb (Compound Command)B1highly irregular (from decir) ir
A high quality simple colorful storybook illustration showing two adult figures. One figure is speaking firmly and pointing off-screen to the right, giving a formal command. The second figure is standing attentively, ready to relay the message.
infinitivedecir (to say/tell)
gerunddiciendo (saying/telling)
past Participledicho (said/told)

📝 In Action

Dígale a su jefe que llegaremos tarde.

B1

Tell your boss (formal) that we will arrive late.

Si lo ve, dígale que lo llamé.

A2

If you see him, tell him that I called.

No le grite, mejor dígale las cosas con calma.

B2

Don't yell at him, better to tell him things calmly.

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: dígale

Question 1 of 2

Which sentence correctly uses 'dígale'?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family
🎵 Rhymes
trágalepágale
📚 Etymology

Formed by combining the imperative of the highly irregular verb *decir* (to say/tell), which comes from Latin *dicere*, and the indirect object pronoun *le* (to him/her/you formal).

First recorded: Evolved from Vulgar Latin structures following the loss of separate imperative forms.

Cognates (Related words)

Italian: digliPortuguese: diga-lhe

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why does 'dígale' have an accent mark?

The accent mark is required to keep the stress on the first syllable, 'dí-,' which is where the stress was in the original command ('Diga'). When you attach pronouns to a command, the normal stress rules change, so Spanish uses the accent to guide pronunciation correctly.

Can I attach more than one pronoun to 'dígale'?

Yes! For example, if you want to say 'Tell it to him/her,' you would use 'Dígaselo.' The indirect object pronoun 'le' changes to 'se' when followed immediately by the direct object pronoun 'lo/la/los/las.'