How to Say "tell you" in Spanish
The Spanish word for “tell you” is “dile” — A1 level. This is a very common word in everyday Spanish.
Examples
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').
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