If you want to speak Italian, you need verbs. One of the most common and useful verbs is “dire”, which means “to say”. This lesson will teach you everything you need to know about “dire” – how to conjugate it in different tenses, how to use it in sentences, and some handy expressions with “dire”. Whether you’re a total beginner or have some knowledge of Italian, this guide will improve your understanding of this fundamental verb.
Table of Contents
Italian Verb Dire Overview
Let’s get to know the Italian verb dire. It’s another of those common verbs that you’ll use a lot when speaking Italian, so this lesson will be useful as part of your journey to learn the Italian grammar and language.
Dire Meaning
Dire means to say in English.
Type of verb
Dire it’s an irregular transitive verb.
It’s irregular because the root changes when conjugating certain tenses like the passato remoto.
Since the verb dire (to say) can answer the question what, it takes the auxiliary avere.
If you need to revise that rule, here it is again.
Most transitive verbs, that is those verbs that can answer the what question (eating what, doing what, giving what), take the auxiliary verb avere.
Intransitive verbs can’t answer the question of who/what. These verbs normally take the auxiliary verb essere.
With this rule in mind, once I tell you the type of verb, you’ll automatically know which helper verb to use for your passato prossimo and other compound past tenses.
Dire Pronunciation
Listen to me, if you want to practice how to say dire in Italian. I am also pronouncing the conjugation of the present tense, which you’ll see in the section after the next one.
Prepositions After Dire
Usually dire implies to say something, which means that it’s followed by a noun rather than a preposition. Other times it can act as a complete verb that doesn’t imply the use of a preposition.
Examples:
Dimmi la verità. – Tell me the truth. (truth is the noun)
Fabrizio ha detto la sua. – Fabrizio had his say. (sua acts as a pronoun in place of the noun)
Ho già detto ciò che dovevo dire. – I have already said what I needed to say. (ciò acts as the pronoun).
When the sentence implies to tell someone or to tell something about someone, we use the prepositions a (to) and di (about).
Examples:
Di alla mamma di essere pronta alle 6. – Tell mum to be ready at 6.
Cosa mi dici di Laura? – What can you tell me about Laura?
Dire Conjugation in Italian
Dire Present Tense
When you want to use say in the present, use this conjugation.
Io dico
Tu dici
Lui/lei dice
Noi diciamo
Voi dite
Loro dicono
Translates to: I say, you say, he/she says, we say, you say, they say.
Dire Imperfetto
When you want to speak about saying something in the past, use the imperfect.
Io dicevo
Tu dicevi
Lui/lei diceva
Noi dicevamo
Voi dicevate
Loro dicevano
Translates to: I said, you said, he/she said, we said, you said, they said.
Dire Passato Prossimo
When you want to refer to having said something in a very recent past, maybe earlier that day or yesterday, use this tense and conjugation.
Io ho detto
Tu hai detto
Lui/lei ha detto
Noi abbiamo detto
Voi avete detto
Loro hanno detto
Translation: I have said, you have said, he/she has said, we have said, you have said, they have said.
Dire Future Tense
If you want to say I will say in Italian, this is the correct conjugation of the verb dire.
Io dirò
Tu dirai
Lui/lei dirà
Noi diremo
Voi direte
Loro diranno
This translates to: I will say, you will say, he/she will say, we will say, you will say, they will say.
Dire Verb Full Conjugation
Dire Indicative Mood
| PRESENTE | PASSATO PROSSIMO |
| io dico tu dici lui dice noi diciamo voi dite loro dicono Meaning 1st person: I say | io ho detto tu hai detto lui ha detto noi abbiamo detto voi avete detto loro hanno detto Meaning 1st person: I have said |
IMPERFETTO | TRAPASSATO PROSSIMO |
| io dicevo tu dicevi lui diceva noi dicevamo voi dicevate loro dicevano Meaning 1st person: I said | io avevo detto tu avevi detto lui aveva detto noi avevamo detto voi avevate detto loro avevano detto Meaning 1st person: I had said |
| PASSATO REMOTO (historical perfect) | TRAPASSATO REMOTO (past anterior) |
| io dissi tu dicesti lui disse noi dicemmo voi diceste loro dissero Meaning 1st person: I said | io ebbi detto tu avesti detto lui ebbe detto noi avemmo detto voi aveste detto loro ebbero detto Meaning 1st person: I had said |
Dire Indicative Mood
Understanding the Passato Remoto
In Italian, when you want to talk about actions that took place and were completed in the remote or distant past, you use the passato remoto. It’s like looking at events from a historical perspective. This tense is commonly found in written narratives, literature, or when discussing events that happened a long time ago.
For example:
- English: “He went to the store yesterday.”
Italian Present Perfect (passato prossimo): “Ha detto che è andato al negozio ieri.”
Italian Passato Remoto: “Disse che andò al negozio l’anno scorso.” (He said he went to the shop last year).
What About the Trapassato Remoto?
The trapassato remoto is the Italian past perfect tense and is used to express actions that occurred before another past action, often in the passato remoto. It’s a further step back in the past. So, if you’re already using the passato remoto to talk about a completed past action, you would use the trapassato remoto to describe an action that happened even earlier in relation to that past event.
Example:
Trapassato Remoto: “Non appena Giovanni ebbe sentito la notizia, corse al negozio.” (As soon as John heard the news, he ran to the store.)
| FUTURO SEMPLICE | FUTURO ANTERIORE (future perfect) |
| io dirò tu dirai lui dirà noi diremo voi direte loro diranno Meaning 1st person: I will say | io avrò detto tu avrai detto lui avrà detto noi avremo detto voi avrete detto loro avranno detto Meaning 1st person: I will have said |
Dire Indicative Mood
Dire Conditional Mood
| PRESENTE | PASSATO |
| io direi tu diresti lui direbbe noi diremmo voi direste loro direbbero 1st Person Meaning: I would say | io avrei detto tu avresti detto lui avrebbe detto noi avremmo detto voi avreste detto loro avrebbero detto 1st Person meaning: I would have said |
Conditional of Verb Dire
Dire Subjunctive Mood
| PRESENTE | PASSATO |
| che io dica che tu dica che lui dica che noi diciamo che voi diciate che loro dicano 1st person meaning: that I say | che io abbia detto che tu abbia detto che lui abbia detto che noi abbiamo detto che voi abbiate detto che loro abbiano detto 1st person meaning: that I’ve said |
IMPERFETTO | TRAPASSATO |
| che io dicessi che tu dicessi che lui dicesse che noi dicessimo che voi diceste che loro dicessero 1st person meaning: that I said | che io avessi detto che tu avessi detto che lui avesse detto che noi avessimo detto che voi aveste detto che loro avessero detto 1st person meaning: that I had said |
Dire Subjunctive Mood
Imperative Mood
| PRESENTE |
| – di’ dica diciamo dite dicano 2nd person meaning: Say |
Dire Imperative Mood
Infinitive Mood
| PRESENTE | PASSATO |
| dire Meaning: to say | avere detto Meaning: to have said |
Dire Infinitive Mood
Participle Mood
| PRESENTE | PASSATO |
| dicente Meaning: saying | detto Meaning: said |
Dire Participle Mood
Gerund Mood
| PRESENTE | PASSATO |
| Dicendo Meaning: saying | Avere detto Meaning: having said |
Dire Gerund Mood
Let’s Practice Using The Italian Verb Dire
- Luca dice sempre la verità.
- Luca always tells the truth.
- Giovanni dice che arriverà presto.
- Giovanni says he will arrive early.
- Il professore ha detto che il compito è facile.
- The teacher said that the homework is easy.
- Maria dice a Paolo di non preoccuparsi.
- Maria tells Paolo not to worry.
- Mi ha detto di chiamarlo domani.
- He told me to call him tomorrow.
- Laura dice di aver già mangiato.
- Laura says she has already eaten.
- Il film mi è piaciuto molto, devo dirtelo.
- I really liked the movie, I have to tell you.
- Lorenzo dice a sua madre che è arrivato.
- Lorenzo tells his mother that he has arrived.
- Ti dirò la mia opinione più tardi.
- I will tell you my opinion later.
- Gli amici ci hanno detto di venire alla festa.
- Our friends told us to come to the party.
Dire vs Parlare
Dire and parlare are both communication verbs, which show that someone is speaking.
The key to understanding the difference between these verbs is this: dire is an action that can start with one person and stop there, while parlare involves two or more people.
I can say something without someone replying to me.
If I am speaking, there’s usually someone who’s also listening and taking part in the conversation.
PS: While in English you have to speak and to talk, in Italian parlare fulfills the functions of both of those verbs.
Examples:
Vanessa dice di stare male. – Vanessa says she’s feeling bad.
That doesn’t imply the other person is talking too.
Vanessa parla a suo padre del suo malore. – Vanessa is talking to her dad about her sickness.
This time that sentence implies two people are talking.
15 Italian Expressions With Dire
So far you might have thought dire is a boring verb. Well, think again. Once you read and learn these expressions, you’ll fall in love with this verb and want to use it all the time.
- Modo di dire: Expression or Saying
- Diciamo che: Let’s say that
- Ma non mi dire: But don’t tell me
- Che ne dici?: What do you say? / What’s your opinion?
- Dire la propria: To speak one’s mind
- Dirne quattro: To say a few (harsh) words
- Voler dire: To mean
- A dir poco: To say the least
- Come si suol dire: As they say / As the saying goes
- A dire il vero: To tell the truth
- Detto fra noi: Between us / Just between us
- Dirne di tutti i colori: To say all sorts of things / To speak ill
- Tra il dire e il fare c’è di mezzo il mare: Between saying and doing, there is the sea in the middle. (Actions speak louder than words.)
- Non farselo dire: Don’t make me tell you. (You should already know or understand without being told.)
- Puoi dirlo forte: You can say that for sure (Forte means aloud and emphasizes that you agree with what is being said).
Test Your Knowledge of Dire in Italian
1. What does “dire” mean in English?
a. To go
b. To say
c. To eat
2. Which auxiliary verb does “dire” take in compound past tenses?
a. Avere
b. Essere
c. Fare
3. In the sentence “Marco dice di stare male,” what does Marco say?
a. He’s going home.
b. He’s feeling bad.
c. He’s talking to his friend.
4. How do you say “I will say” in Italian using the verb “dire”?
a. Io dirò
b. Tu dici
c. Lui dice
5. When “dire” is followed by a preposition, what does it usually imply?
a. A question
b. A command
c. Saying something about someone
6. Complete the sentence: “Non farselo dire” means…
a. Don’t make me tell you.
b. Tell me more.
c. I will tell you.
7. Choose the correct form of “dire” in the imperfect tense: “Io _____ (dire) sempre la verità.”
a. dicano
b. dicevo
c. dico
8. What does “A dir poco” mean?
a. To say a few words
b. To say the least
c. To say loudly
9. In the sentence “Mi ha detto di chiamarlo domani,” what did he say?
a. Call him tomorrow.
b. He’s coming tomorrow.
c. He called tomorrow.
10. Translate “Voler dire” to English.
a. To speak loudly
b. To mean
c. To go
Answers:
- b. To say
- a. Avere
- b. He’s feeling bad.
- a. Io dirò
- c. Saying something about someone
- a. Don’t make me tell you.
- b. dicevo
- b. To say the least
- a. Call him tomorrow.
- b. To mean
Final Thoughts
Now you have a solid grasp of the Italian verb “dire” – its meaning, conjugations, sentence examples, and common expressions. With this vital communication verb in your toolkit, you’ll be able to describe what people said, tell someone to do something, and express opinions more naturally in Italian. Refer back to this guide whenever you need a refresher on “dire”. Understanding basic building blocks like these is essential as you progress on your Italian learning journey.
Next, you should learn the Italian verb andare and the very important one – avere.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the conjugation of Dire?
The conjugation of the Italian verb dire in the present tense is: io dico, tu dici, lui/lei dice, noi diciamo, voi dite, loro dicono.
What is the dire command in Italian?
The imperative form for giving a command with the Italian verb dire would be di’ (informal singular), dica (formal singular), diciamo (first person plural), dite (informal plural).
How do you pronounce dire in Italian?
Dire is pronounced “DEE-reh” in Italian. The stress is on the first syllable.
Is Dire a regular verb?
No, the Italian verb dire is an irregular verb.
What is the past tense of dire in Italian?
The passato prossimo (recent past) of dire is: ho detto, hai detto, ha detto, abbiamo detto, avete detto, hanno detto.
What is the Latin word for dire?
The Latin word for “to say” is dicere, which is related to the Italian dire.
What are 2 synonyms for dire?
Two synonyms for dire in Italian are raccontare (to tell) and affermare (to state/assert).
What does dire someone mean?
That’s not something you would say in Italian, since “dire someone” includes an Italian and an English word. However, the two words mean to tell a person something.
What does very dire mean?
That’s a wrong expression, at least in Italian, as it’s using an English word and an Italian one.
