Inklingo

How to Say "we told" in Spanish

The most common Spanish word for “we told” is “dijimos” — use 'dijimos' when 'we told' refers to stating a fact, conveying information, or issuing a command, especially when followed by 'que' (that) or an indirect command..

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dijimos

dee-HEE-mos/diˈxi.mos/

verbA1general
Use 'dijimos' when 'we told' refers to stating a fact, conveying information, or issuing a command, especially when followed by 'que' (that) or an indirect command.
Two colorful storybook characters, friends, sitting on a bench in a park, engaged in a conversation.

Examples

Dijimos que llegaríamos tarde.

We said that we would arrive late.

Dijimos la verdad, aunque fue difícil.

We said the truth, even though it was difficult.

¿Qué les dijimos sobre llegar tarde?

What did we tell them about arriving late?

Todos estábamos de acuerdo con lo que dijimos en la reunión.

We were all in agreement with what we said in the meeting.

The 'We' Past Tense

This word is the 'we' form (nosotros) of the simple past tense (Preterite). It describes an action that started and finished at a specific point in the past.

Irregular Stem

The verb 'decir' (to say/tell) is highly irregular in the simple past. Instead of using the base 'dec-', it uses the special stem 'dij-'. You must memorize this change!

Confusing Past and Present

Mistake: “Decimos ir al cine. (Meaning: We said to go to the cinema.)”

Correction: Dijimos ir al cine. 'Decimos' means 'we say' (present); 'dijimos' means 'we said' (past). Pay attention to the -j- to signal the past.

contamos

/kohn-TAH-mohs//konˈtamos/

verbA2general
Use 'contamos' when 'we told' means to narrate or recount a story, event, or series of events.
A grandfather sitting in a large armchair, gesturing with his hands while telling a story to two captivated children.

Examples

Contamos el cuento de Caperucita Roja.

We told the story of Little Red Riding Hood.

Contamos historias alrededor del fuego.

We tell (or we told) stories around the fire.

Le contamos el secreto a María.

We tell (or we told) the secret to María.

Who are you telling?

When you tell someone something, use 'le' or 'les' before 'contamos' to show who is receiving the story.

Narrating vs. Stating

The most common mistake is using 'dijimos' when you mean to narrate a story. Remember that 'contamos' is specifically for recounting events or telling tales, while 'dijimos' is for stating facts or information.

Related Translations

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