The French verb dire means to say or to tell. It is an irregular verb in the -re group and is widely used to report speech, express thoughts, or give instructions.

Conjugation Patterns

dire follows the stem dis- in the singular and third-person plural forms, and d- in other plural forms. The past participle is dit, used with avoir in compound tenses.

Present Tense Conjugation

Person	French Example	English Example
Je dis	Je dis la vérité.	I tell the truth.
Tu dis	Tu dis bonjour.	You say hello.
Il/Elle dit	Elle dit son nom.	She says her name.
Nous disons	Nous disons au revoir.	We say goodbye.
Vous dites	Vous dites la réponse.	You say the answer.
Ils/Elles disent	Ils disent « bonjour ».	They say “hello.”

They say “hello.”

Ils disons « bonjour ».

Ils disent « bonjour ».

Ils di « bonjour ».

Ils dites « bonjour ».

Ils disent « bonjour ».

The correct form is "ils disent," using the -ent ending for the third-person plural in the -re verb dire.

Passé Composé (Compound Past)

Person	French Example	English Example
J’ai dit	J’ai dit la vérité.	I told the truth.
Tu as dit	Tu as dit bonjour.	You said hello.
Il/Elle a dit	Il a dit son nom.	He said his name.

You said hello.

Tu as dis bonjour.

Tu as dit bonjour.

Tu as dites bonjour.

Tu es dit bonjour.

Tu as dit bonjour.

"Tu as dit" is correct. The past participle "dit" is invariable, and "avoir" is the auxiliary, not "être."

Imparfait (Imperfect)

Person	French Example	English Example
Je disais	Je disais toujours ça.	I used to say that.
Tu disais	Tu disais la vérité.	You were telling the truth.
Il/Elle disait	Elle disait oui.	She was saying yes.

Futur Simple (Simple Future)

Person	French Example	English Example
Je dirai	Je dirai la vérité.	I will tell the truth.
Tu diras	Tu diras ce que tu sais.	You will say what you know.
Il/Elle dira	Il dira bonjour.	He will say hello.

Conditionnel Présent (Present Conditional)

Person	French Example	English Example
Je dirais	Je dirais la vérité.	I would tell the truth.
Tu dirais	Tu dirais ce que tu penses.	You would say what you think.
Il/Elle dirait	Elle dirait non.	She would say no.

Subjonctif Présent (Present Subjunctive)

Person	French Example	English Example
que je dise	Il faut que je dise la vérité.	It’s necessary that I tell the truth.
que tu dises	Il faut que tu dises quelque chose.	It’s necessary that you say something.
qu’il/elle dise	Il faut qu’elle dise oui.	It’s necessary that she says yes.

Common Usage and Grammar Points

Reporting Speech (Indirect Speech)

dire que + indicative: Il dit que... (He says that...)
dire à [person] de [infinitive]: Je dis à Marie de venir. (I tell Marie to come.)

Examples

Usage	French Example	English Example
Reporting	Il dit qu’il est fatigué.	He says that he is tired.
Giving instructions	Je dis aux enfants de dormir.	I tell the children to sleep.
Quoting	Elle dit : « Je pars. »	She says, “I’m leaving.”

Common Phrases with dire

Phrase	English Meaning
dire la vérité	tell the truth
dire des mensonges	tell lies
dire bonjour / au revoir	say hello / goodbye
dire quelque chose	say something
dire oui / non	say yes / no

Summary

dire = to say, to tell
Irregular stem changes: dis- (je, tu, il/elle, ils/elles), d- (nous, vous, ils/elles plurals)
Past participle = dit (always with avoir)
Used with que for indirect speech and à [person] de [verb] for commands
Common in many fixed expressions and everyday conversation

dire is a fundamental French verb for expressing speech, reporting information, and giving instructions.

Flashcards (1 of 29)

Person: Je dis

English Example: I tell the truth.

Last updated: Wed Jun 18, 2025

French

Dire: to say, to tell