italiano · A2 · verb · 4 minutes
Dire: present tense
Use dic- forms and a dative listener to say or tell something.
Understand the choice
Dire separates message from recipient. Dire qualcosa a qualcuno can replace the listener with mi/ti/gli/le/ci/vi/gli before the verb.
Core rule: Dire is irregular: dico, dici, dice, diciamo, dite, dicono; the thing said is direct, the listener uses a.
Notice it in context
Dico la verità e poi dico tutto ai miei genitori.
I tell the truth and then tell everything to my parents.
Dico carries omitted io; verità/tutto are messages; ai miei genitori is recipient.
Che cosa dite al cliente?
What do you say to the client?
Dite agrees with voi; al cliente marks listener.
Lei mi dice sempre la stessa cosa.
She always tells me the same thing.
Mi is indirect recipient; cosa is direct message.
What to remember
- Raccontare means tell/narrate a story; dire reports words or information.
- The past participle is detto.
Common trap: Do not use dire directly with the person as an accusative object: dire qualcosa a qualcuno.