The Imperative Mood (Affirmative Commands) of Decir is used to give orders or make requests related to saying or telling something, for example Dime la verdad. (Tell me the truth.)

Decir is an irregular verb, meaning its conjugations do not follow the typical patterns of regular verbs.

Conjugations

Conjugations of Decir (to say) in the Imperative Mood (Affirmative Commands) tense (Castilian Spanish):

Decir generally means “to say” or “to tell”, but has several different meanings in the Imperative Mood (Affirmative Commands), some of which might surprise you.

To say or tell: This is the most common meaning, for example, Dime la verdad (Tell me the truth).

To express: Used when conveying an idea or opinion, for example, Dilo con tus propias palabras (Express it in your own words).

To indicate or show: Used when referring to something that is evident or clear, for example, Dime qué hora es (Tell me what time it is).

To read: Used when instructing someone to read something out loud, for example, Dime lo que dice ahí (Read me what it says there).

To reveal or disclose: Used when asking someone to share information, for example, Dime la verdad, ¿te gusta o no? (Tell me the truth, do you like it or not?).

To order or command (colloquial): Used in a more informal or colloquial way to give an order or command, for example, Dime qué quieres (Tell me what you want).

To insult or criticize (rude): Used in a rude or offensive way to insult or criticize someone, for example, Dime una cosa, ¿eres tonto o qué? (Tell me one thing, are you stupid or what?).

Examples

Examples of Decir in the Imperative Mood (Affirmative Commands)

¡Di la verdad! (Tell the truth!)

Por favor, diga su nombre completo. (Please state your full name.)

Vamos a practicar español. Digamos algunas frases. (Let’s practice Spanish. Let’s say some phrases.)

¡Decid lo que piensan! (Say what you think!)

Amigos, digan la verdad sobre lo que pasó. (Friends, tell the truth about what happened.)

Señor, diga su pedido por favor. (Sir, please state your order.)

¡Di algo gracioso! (Say something funny!)

Mamá, diga la receta otra vez. (Mom, say the recipe again.)

Equipo, digamos nuestras metas para este año. (Team, let’s state our goals for this year.)

Profesor, diga las instrucciones claramente. (Professor, state the instructions clearly.)

¡Decid lo que queréis hacer este fin de semana! (Say what you want to do this weekend!)

Chicos, digan la respuesta en voz alta. (Kids, say the answer out loud.)

Vamos a jugar un juego. Digamos palabras que riman. (Let’s play a game. Let’s say words that rhyme.)

En la reunión, digan sus ideas con confianza. (In the meeting, state your ideas confidently.)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Decir (to say) in the Imperative Mood (Affirmative Commands) tense (Castilian Spanish) with English Translations:

This post covers Castilian Spanish. For Latin American Spanish, click here

Synonyms

The Imperative mood is also known as the Command Form, Affirmative Command Mood, or Direct Command Form in English, and as Modo Imperativo, Imperativo Afirmativo, Mandatos Afirmativos, or Forma de Mandato in Spanish.