The Italian verb "dire" means "to say/tell" in English. It is an irregular verb. Below you'll find the complete conjugation tables for "dire" across all 5 tenses. New to Italian verbs? Start with the Italian verb guide.
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How to Conjugate "dire" in the Present Tense
Presente indicativo Actions happening now or regularly| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| io | I | dico |
| tu | you (informal) | dici |
| lui/lei | he/she/you (formal) | dice |
| noi | we | diciamo |
| voi | you all | dite |
| loro | they | dicono |
Lui dice ciao.
He says hello.
How to Conjugate "dire" in the Past (completed) Tense
Passato prossimo Actions that finished in the recent past| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| io | I | ho detto |
| tu | you (informal) | hai detto |
| lui/lei | he/she/you (formal) | ha detto |
| noi | we | abbiamo detto |
| voi | you all | avete detto |
| loro | they | hanno detto |
Lui ha detto una bugia.
He told a lie.
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Imperfetto Actions that were ongoing in the past| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| io | I | dicevo |
| tu | you (informal) | dicevi |
| lui/lei | he/she/you (formal) | diceva |
| noi | we | dicevamo |
| voi | you all | dicevate |
| loro | they | dicevano |
Lei diceva che era tardi.
She was saying that it was late.
How to Conjugate "dire" in the Future Tense
Futuro semplice Actions that will happen| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| io | I | dirò |
| tu | you (informal) | dirai |
| lui/lei | he/she/you (formal) | dirà |
| noi | we | diremo |
| voi | you all | direte |
| loro | they | diranno |
Lei dirà di sì.
She will say yes.
How to Conjugate "dire" in the Would (conditional) Tense
Condizionale presente Hypothetical actions| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| io | I | direi |
| tu | you (informal) | diresti |
| lui/lei | he/she/you (formal) | direbbe |
| noi | we | diremmo |
| voi | you all | direste |
| loro | they | direbbero |
Lui direbbe tutto subito.
He would say everything immediately.
Frequently Asked Questions About "dire"
Is "dire" regular or irregular in Italian?
"Dire" is an irregular Italian verb, meaning its conjugation does not follow standard patterns and must be memorized individually.
What does "dire" mean in English?
The Italian verb "dire" means "to say/tell" in English.
How do you conjugate "dire" in the present tense?
In the present tense (Presente indicativo): io → dico, tu → dici, lui/lei → dice, noi → diciamo, voi → dite, loro → dicono.
How many tenses does "dire" have in Italian?
"Dire" is conjugated across 5 tenses in Italian: Present, Past (completed), Past (ongoing), Future, Would (conditional).
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