How to Say "tell him" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “tell him” is “dile” — use 'dile' when speaking informally to someone you know well (like a friend or family member) and you want to tell a male person something..
dile
/DEE-lay//ˈdi.le/
Examples
Dile a tu hermano que la cena está lista.
Tell your brother that dinner is ready.
Dile la verdad.
Tell him/her the truth.
Si ves a Juan, dile que me llame.
If you see Juan, tell him to call me.
Dile a tu mamá que la quiero mucho.
Tell your mom that I love her a lot.
Two Words in One: A Command + Who It's For
'Dile' is actually two words squished together: 'di' (the command 'tell' for a friend) and 'le' (which means 'to him' or 'to her'). In Spanish, when you give a positive command, you stick words like 'le' right onto the end of the verb.
Who is 'le'?
The 'le' part is a bit of a chameleon. It can mean 'to him,' 'to her,' or even 'to you' (if you're talking to someone formally, as 'usted'). You'll know who it is from the context of the conversation.
Separating the Words
Mistake: “Di le la respuesta.”
Correction: Dile la respuesta. For positive commands, the pronoun always gets attached directly to the verb, making it one word.
Using 'lo' or 'la' Instead of 'le'
Mistake: “Dilo que venga. (Trying to say 'Tell him to come')”
Correction: Dile que venga. Use 'le' when you're telling *something to someone*. 'Le' points to the person receiving the message. 'Lo' or 'la' would be for the message itself (e.g., 'El secreto... dilo' -> 'The secret... say it').
dígale
Examples
Dígale al señor que lo estamos esperando.
Tell the gentleman that we are waiting for him.
Informal vs. Formal Commands
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