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French vocabulary · Beginner
How do you say "to say" in French?
dire
In French, "to say" is dire.
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Pronunciation
DEER. One syllable with a clear 'ee' sound.
Grammar notes
An irregular IR verb. Conjugates: je dis, tu dis, il/elle dit, nous disons, vous dites, ils/elles disent. Note: vous dites is pronounced 'voo deet', not 'voo dees'.
Example sentence
Il dit la vérité.
He says the truth.
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How to remember dire
Dire is short and direct, just like saying something bluntly. It comes from the Latin root for 'direct'.
Related words
- end terminer
- enter entrer
- give donner
- go aller
- run courir
- see voir
- shoot tirer
- sit s'asseoir
- write écrire
Browse all French words in the glossary.
Questions about dire
How do you say "to say" in French?
In French, "to say" is dire. It is a noun.
How is dire written in French?
dire is written using the standard French script.
How is dire used in a sentence?
Use dire as you would use the equivalent noun in English. For example: Il dit la vérité. (He says the truth.).
Where can I practice French words for free?
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"To say" in other languages
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