Decías

Decías is the second-person singular imperfect indicative form of the Spanish verb decir. It is used to express actions or states in the past that were habitual, ongoing, or repeated, and it can introduce or belong to indirect discourse. Depending on context, decías can translate as “you were saying,” “you used to say,” or “you used to tell.”

Morphology and etymology: decir comes from Latin dicere, with the imperfect form built on the stem dec- plus the imperfect endings. For tú, the ending is -ías, yielding decías. The imperfect tense describes past routines or continuous situations rather than a single completed event. In many dialects, the same form appears with vos in voseo varieties, though the pronunciation or surrounding forms may differ.

Usage notes: Decías is common in narratives and conversations to recall what someone frequently or habitually said in the past, or to report statements. It often appears with que in indirect speech: decías que vendrías, or decías que no sabía. It can also convey a softened or remembered assertion, especially in reminiscences or reported speech about past beliefs or promises.

Regional variation: The form is widespread in all Spanish-speaking regions for the tú form. In voseo regions, the corresponding present tense differs (decís), but the imperfect tú form remains decías in many dialects. Decías, like other forms of decir, is an essential building block for expressing reported speech and past habitual actions in Spanish.