dizer

Dizer is a Portuguese verb meaning “to say” or “to tell,” and it is primarily used to express speech acts, report content, or state information. It governs direct speech and indirect speech, often introduced by que, as in “Ele disse que viria.” The verb is common across dialects and tends to be preferred when the emphasis is on the content of what is spoken or claimed, rather than on the act of speaking in general.

Dizer is derived from Latin dicere and is irregular, forming a range of tenses with different stems. Key forms include: present indicative eu digo, tu dizes, ele diz, nós dizemos, vós dizeis, eles dizem; preterite perfeito eu disse, tu disseste, ele disse, nós dissemos, vós dissestes, eles disseram; future eu direi, tu dirás, ele dirá, nós diremos, vós direis, eles dirão; imperfect eu dizia, tu dizias, ele dizia, nós dizíamos, vós dizíeis, eles diziam. The present subjunctive is que eu diga, que tu digas, que ele diga, que nós digamos, que vós digais, que eles digam. The gerund is dizendo and the past participle is dito. The imperative forms include tu diz, você diga, nós digamos, vós dizei, vocês digam, with negative forms like não digas, não diga, não digamos, não digais, não digam.

Usage notes include its role in reporting speech (“dizer que…”) and in fixed phrases such as dizer a verdade and dizer algo a alguém. Dizer contrasts with falar (broader act of speaking) and contar (narrating a story); dizer often signals the content or assertion being conveyed. The verb also appears in compound tenses with ter or haver (tenho dito, tinha dito) to express ongoing or repeated statements.