dire
Irregular Verb Dire (To Say)
dire (to say/tell)
je dis
tu dis
il/elle dit
nous disons
vous dites
ils/elles disent
Past Participle: dit
How It Works
The verb dire is one of the most common verbs in French. It follows a specific pattern of irregularity:
- Singular forms: The stem is di- with endings -s, -s, -t (je dis, tu dis, il dit). The 's' and 't' are silent.
- Plural forms: The stem changes to dis- (pronounced with a /z/ sound) for nous and ils/elles.
- The 'Vous' Exception: Along with être and faire, dire is one of the few verbs where the vous form ends in -tes (vous dites). While 'redire' follows this, most other related verbs like 'interdire' use the regular -ez ending (vous interdisez). Note: The verb 'maudire' (to curse) is a total exception and conjugates like a regular -ir verb (vous maudissez).
- Past Participle: The past participle is dit, used in the passé composé (j'ai dit).
Common patterns include:
1. dire que... (to say that...): Il dit qu'il a faim.
2. dire à [someone] de [infinitive] (to tell someone to do something): Je lui dis de partir.
Examples (4)
- Je dis toujours la vérité.
I always tell the truth.
Word by Word: I say always the truth.
In the first person singular, 'dis' ends in a silent 's'.
- Qu'est-ce que vous dites ?
What are you saying?
Word by Word: What is it that you say?
Note the irregular 'vous dites' ending. Never say 'vous disez'.
- Ils disent qu'il va pleuvoir.
They say that it is going to rain.
Word by Word: They say that it goes to rain.
In 'disent', the 's' is pronounced like a 'z', but the '-ent' ending is silent.
- Il me dit de partir.
He tells me to leave.
Word by Word: He me tells of to leave.
When giving an instruction, 'dire' is followed by 'de' and an infinitive.
Common Mistakes
Using the regular -ez ending for the 'vous' form of 'dire'.
Qu'est-ce que vous disez ?Qu'est-ce que vous dites ?Learners often try to make 'dire' regular. Remember that 'vous dites' is one of the few exceptions to the -ez rule. However, be careful: most verbs based on 'dire' (like 'interdire' or 'prédire') actually do use the regular -ez ending (vous interdisez).
Confusing 'dire' with 'parler'.
Je parle que c'est vrai.Je dis que c'est vrai.Use 'parler' for the act of speaking or languages. Use 'dire' for the specific words or content being said.
Applying the -tes ending to all verbs ending in -dire.
Vous contredites mon plan.Vous contredisez mon plan.While 'dire' and 'redire' use the irregular 'vous dites' form, other derivatives like 'contredire', 'interdire', and 'prédire' follow the regular -ez pattern (vous contredisez, vous interdisez, vous prédisez).
How It Connects
Learn This First
To learn the conjugation of the irregular verb 'dire', you first need to be familiar with French subject pronouns and the basic conjugation patterns for regular -re verbs to understand how 'dire' deviates from them.
- vousFormal or Plural Vous
The 'vous' form of 'dire' (dites) is highly irregular and requires familiarity with the 'vous' pronoun and its typical endings.
Level 1 - Regular -re verb conjugation
As 'dire' is an irregular -re verb, knowing the standard -re conjugation patterns helps highlight its unique irregularities.
Level 1
Related Patterns
- faire (présent)Irregular Verb Faire (To Do/make)
Like 'dire', 'faire' is one of the three verbs with an irregular 'vous' form ending in -tes (vous faites).
Level 1 - lireIrregular Verb Lire (To Read)
Both verbs end in -ire and have a similar plural stem (lisons/disons), but 'lire' is regular in the 'vous' form (lisez).
Level 1 - dire queReported Statements with Dire Que
'Dire' is the primary verb used to report what someone else has said.
Level 3 - de + InfinitiveReported Commands
This explains the specific structure used when 'dire' is used to give an order.
Level 3
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice dire in Bubblegum
Poppy, your AI tutor, writes French lessons at your level. Tap any grammar point in a lesson to see its full explanation.
