Conjugating irregular verbs can be more challenging, but it’s essential for mastering the language. Today, we’ll focus on the verb “dizer,” which means “to say” or “to tell.” Below, you’ll find a comprehensive guide to conjugating “dizer” in all tenses, complete with tables for easy reference. The irregular forms will be highlighted in color for clarity.
Present Indicative (Presente do Indicativo)
The present indicative tense is used to describe habitual actions. It can also be used when speaking about actions that are currently happening, but that isn’t as common.
| Person | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| Eu | digo |
| Tu | dizes |
| Ele/Ela/Você | diz |
| Nós | dizemos |
| Vós | dizeis |
| Eles/Elas/Vocês | dizem |
Example Sentences:
- Eu digo sempre a verdade. (I always tell the truth.)
- Eles dizem que vão chegar tarde. (They say they will arrive late.)
Imperfect Indicative (Pretérito Imperfeito do Indicativo)
This tense is used to describe past actions that were ongoing or habitual.
| Person | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| Eu | dizia |
| Tu | dizias |
| Ele/Ela/Você | dizia |
| Nós | dizíamos |
| Vós | dizíeis |
| Eles/Elas/Vocês | diziam |
Example Sentences:
- Nós dizíamos sempre a verdade aos nossos pais. (We used to always tell the truth to our parents.)
- Ele dizia sempre a mesma coisa. (He always used to say the same thing.)
Preterite Indicative (Pretérito Perfeito do Indicativo)
The preterite tense describes actions that happened and were completed in the past.
| Person | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| Eu | disse |
| Tu | disseste |
| Ele/Ela/Você | disse |
| Nós | dissémos |
| Vós | dissestes |
| Eles/Elas/Vocês | disseram |
Example Sentences:
- Eu disse o que sentia. (I said what I felt.)
- Eles disseram que iam sair cedo. (They said they would leave early.)
Pluperfect Indicative (Mais-que-perfeito do Indicativo)
This tense indicates an action that was completed before another past action.
| Person | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| Eu | dissera |
| Tu | disseras |
| Ele/Ela/Você | dissera |
| Nós | disséramos |
| Vós | disséreis |
| Eles/Elas/Vocês | disseram |
Example Sentences:
- Eu dissera que viria. (I had said that I would come.)
- Nós disséramos tudo o que sabíamos. (We had said everything we knew.)
Future Indicative (Futuro do Indicativo)
The future indicative is used to describe actions that will happen.
| Person | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| Eu | direi |
| Tu | dirás |
| Ele/Ela/Você | dirá |
| Nós | diremos |
| Vós | direis |
| Eles/Elas/Vocês | dirão |
Example Sentences:
- Eu direi a verdade na reunião. (I will tell the truth at the meeting.)
- Eles dirão as novidades amanhã. (They will tell the news tomorrow.)
Conditional (Condicional)
The conditional tense describes actions that would happen under certain conditions.
| Person | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| Eu | diria |
| Tu | dirias |
| Ele/Ela/Você | diria |
| Nós | diríamos |
| Vós | diríeis |
| Eles/Elas/Vocês | diriam |
Example Sentences:
- Eu diria a verdade se soubesse. (I would tell the truth if I knew.)
- Nós diríamos a verdade. (We would tell the truth.)
Present Subjunctive (Presente do Conjuntivo)
The present subjunctive is used to express doubt, desire, or uncertainty.
| Person | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| Eu | diga |
| Tu | digas |
| Ele/Ela/Você | diga |
| Nós | digamos |
| Vós | digais |
| Eles/Elas/Vocês | digam |
Example Sentences:
- Espero que ele diga a verdade. (I hope he tells the truth.)
- Que nós digamos o que sentimos! (Let us say what we feel!)
Imperfect Subjunctive (Pretérito Imperfeito do Conjuntivo)
This tense is used for hypothetical situations that are unlikely or impossible to happen.
| Person | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| Eu | dissesse |
| Tu | dissesses |
| Ele/Ela/Você | dissesse |
| Nós | disséssemos |
| Vós | dissésseis |
| Eles/Elas/Vocês | dissessem |
Example Sentences:
- Se eu dissesse isso, ele ficaria chateado. (If I said that, he would be upset.)
- Se nós disséssemos a verdade, tudo seria diferente. (If we told the truth, everything would be different.)
Future Subjunctive (Futuro do Subjuntivo)
Used for actions that are possible, and even probable to happen in the future.
| Person | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| Eu | disser |
| Tu | disseres |
| Ele/Ela/Você | disser |
| Nós | dissermos |
| Vós | disserdes |
| Eles/Elas/Vocês | disserem |
Example Sentences:
- Quando eu disser isso, ele entenderá. (When I say that, he will understand.)
- Se eles disserem a verdade, tudo mudará. (If they tell the truth, everything will change.)
Personal Infinitive (Infinitivo Pessoal)
The personal infinitive is used to emphasize the subject of an infinitive verb. Sometimes, it can be used to substitute the Present Subjunctive.
| Person | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| Eu | dizer |
| Tu | dizeres |
| Ele/Ela/Você | dizer |
| Nós | dizermos |
| Vós | dizerdes |
| Eles/Elas/Vocês | dizerem |
Example Sentences:
- Antes de dizer qualquer coisa, pense. (Before saying anything, think.)
- É importante dizermos a verdade. (It’s important for us to tell the truth.)
Imperative (Imperativo)
The imperative is used to give commands or requests.
| Person | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| (Tu) | diz |
| (Ele/Ela/Você) | diga |
| (Nós) | digamos |
| (Vós) | dizei |
| (Eles/Elas/Vocês) | digam |
Example Sentences:
- Diz a verdade agora! (Tell the truth now!)
- Digam tudo o que sabem. (Tell everything you know.)
In addition to simple tenses, Portuguese also uses composed tenses. These tenses combine an auxiliary verb with the past participle of the main verb. Below, you’ll find a comprehensive guide to the composed tenses of the verb “dizer,” along with example sentences.
Pretérito Perfeito Composto
This tense is used to express actions that started in the past and continue up to the present.
| Person | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| Eu | tenho dito |
| Tu | tens dito |
| Ele/Ela/Você | tem dito |
| Nós | temos dito |
| Vós | tendes dito |
| Eles/Elas/Vocês | têm dito |
Example Sentences:
- Eu já lhe tenho dito que ele tem que comer mais. (I have been telling him that he has to eat more.)
- Eles têm dito muita coisa, mas não fazem nada. (They have been saying a lot, but they do nothing.)
Pretérito Mais-que-perfeito Composto
This tense is used to express actions that had occurred before another action in the past.
| Person | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| Eu | tinha dito |
| Tu | tinhas dito |
| Ele/Ela/Você | tinha dito |
| Nós | tínhamos dito |
| Vós | tínheis dito |
| Eles/Elas/Vocês | tinham dito |
Example Sentences:
- Eu tinha dito a verdade antes de sair. (I had told the truth before leaving.)
- Eles tinham dito tudo antes da reunião. (They had said everything before the meeting.)
Futuro Composto
This tense is used to describe actions that will have occurred by a specific point in the future.
| Person | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| Eu | terei dito |
| Tu | terás dito |
| Ele/Ela/Você | terá dito |
| Nós | teremos dito |
| Vós | tereis dito |
| Eles/Elas/Vocês | terão dito |
Example Sentences:
- Eu terei dito tudo até amanhã. (I will have said everything by tomorrow.)
- Eles terão dito a verdade antes de chegares. (They will have told the truth before you arrive.)
Condicional Composto
This tense describes actions that would have occurred under certain conditions.
| Person | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| Eu | teria dito |
| Tu | terias dito |
| Ele/Ela/Você | teria dito |
| Nós | teríamos dito |
| Vós | teríeis dito |
| Eles/Elas/Vocês | teriam dito |
Example Sentences:
- Eu teria dito a verdade se soubesse. (I would have told the truth if I knew.)
- Eles teriam dito tudo se tivessem hipótese. (They would have said everything if they had the chance.)
Pretérito Perfeito do Conjuntivo Composto
This tense is used for actions that are seen as completed within a subjunctive context.
| Person | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| Eu | tenha dito |
| Tu | tenhas dito |
| Ele/Ela/Você | tenha dito |
| Nós | tenhamos dito |
| Vós | tenhais dito |
| Eles/Elas/Vocês | tenham dito |
Example Sentences:
- Espero que ele tenha dito a verdade. (I hope he has told the truth.)
- Que nós tenhamos dito tudo o que era necessário! (Let us have said everything that was necessary!)
Pretérito Mais-que-perfeito do Subjuntivo
This tense is used for hypothetical situations in the past, that didn’t happen.
| Person | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| Eu | tivesse dito |
| Tu | tivesses dito |
| Ele/Ela/Você | tivesse dito |
| Nós | tivéssemos dito |
| Vós | tivésseis dito |
| Eles/Elas/Vocês | tivessem dito |
Example Sentences:
- Se eu tivesse dito isso, ele não teria ficado chateado. (If I had said that, he would not have been upset.)
- Se nós tivéssemos dito a verdade, tudo seria diferente. (If we had told the truth, everything would be different.)
Futuro Perfeito do Subjuntivo
Used for actions that might and are likely to be completed by a certain point in the future or that are likely to have been completed in the past within a subjunctive context.
| Person | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| Eu | tiver dito |
| Tu | tiveres dito |
| Ele/Ela/Você | tiver dito |
| Nós | tivermos dito |
| Vós | tiverdes dito |
| Eles/Elas/Vocês | tiverem dito |
Example Sentences:
- Quando eu tiver dito isso, ele entenderá. (When I have said that, he will understand.)
- Se eles tiverem dito a verdade, tudo mudará. (If they have told the truth, everything will change.)
Infinitivo Pessoal Composto
Used to describe a completed action with a specified subject.
| Person | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| Eu | ter dito |
| Tu | teres dito |
| Ele/Ela/Você | ter dito |
| Nós | termos dito |
| Vós | terdes dito |
| Eles/Elas/Vocês | terem dito |
Example Sentences:
- Depois de termos dito a verdade, sentimos alívio. (After having told the truth, we felt relieved.)
- Eles ficaram tristes por terem dito adeus. (They were sad for having said goodbye.)
Infinitivo Impessoal Composto
Used to describe a completed action in the infinitive form.
| Conjugation |
|---|
| Ter dito |
Example Sentences:
- Depois de ter dito tudo, ele foi embora. (After having said everything, he left.)
- Lamento ter dito aquilo. (I regret having said that.)
Gerúndio Composto
Used to describe an action that was ongoing and was completed in the past, or to speak about a future action once it is completed.
| Conjugation |
|---|
| Tendo dito |
Example Sentences:
- Tendo dito isso, ela saiu da sala. (Having said that, she left the room.)
- Tendo feito isso, só tem que dirigir ali ao balcão. (Having done that (= Once you do that), you just need to go to the main desk).
With these tables and example sentences, you now have a complete overview of how to conjugate the verb “dizer” in European Portuguese across all composed tenses.
Before I go, I just want to give an overview of the ways the verb DIZER is used:
- Dizer
Declarar, Comentar
- Diz-me o que queres fazer! (Tell me what you want to do!)
- Dizem que há água gelada em Marte. (They say there’s icy water in Mars)
2. Dizer a
Expor
- Vou dizer ao Luís o que fizeste! (I am going to tell Luís what you did!)
Interessar
- Aquela conversa não lhes dizia nada. (That conversation meant nothing to them/ didn’t interest them).
3. Dizer de
afirmar
- O patrão dizia sempre bem dele. (The boss always said good things about him.)
4. Dizer com
condizer
- Essa saia diz bem com o teu casaco. (That skirt goes well with your jacket.)
And here it is! Practice regularly to become fluent and confident in your Portuguese communication. Happy learning!