Portuguese Communication Verb Rules and Examples With “Dizer”

Introduction

Understanding how Brazilians report speech and use the verb dizer is essential for clear communication in Portuguese. This article explains rules for direct and indirect speech, common verb patterns, conjugations, pronoun placement, and everyday examples to help English-speaking learners use dizer naturally in conversation.

What does dizer mean and why it matters

dizer means to say or to tell. It is one of the most frequent verbs in Portuguese because it covers reporting speech, giving information, expressing opinions, and introducing quotes or messages. Learning how to use dizer correctly helps you form statements like I said, she told me, they say, and reported speech in both formal and informal contexts.

Basic conjugation patterns

dizer is irregular. Below are key conjugations that you will use most often in conversation. Memorize these forms to build confidence when speaking or writing.

Present tense (Presente do Indicativo)

Eu digo
Tu dizes
Ele/ela/você diz
Nós dizemos
Vós dizeis (rare in Brazilian usage)
Eles/elas/vocês dizem

Use the presente to state facts, habits, or what someone says now. Example: Ele diz a verdade. means He tells the truth.

Preterite simple (Pretérito Perfeito)

Eu disse
Tu disseste
Ele/ela/você disse
Nós dissemos
Vós dissestes (rare)
Eles/elas/vocês disseram

Use the pretérito perfeito to report completed speech in the past. Example: Ela disse a hora certa. means She told the right time.

Imperfect (Pretérito Imperfeito)

Eu dizia
Tu dizias
Ele/ela/você dizia
Nós dizíamos
Vós dizíeis (rare)
Eles/elas/vocês diziam

The imperfect is used for habitual past speech or background information. Example: Quando eu era criança, meu avô dizia histórias. means When I was a child, my grandfather used to tell stories.

Future and conditional

Future: Eu direi, Tu dirás, Ele dirá, Nós diremos, Eles dirão
Conditional: Eu diria, Tu dirias, Ele diria, Nós diríamos, Eles diriam

Use the future to indicate what someone will say and the conditional to express what someone would say in hypothetical situations. Example: Eu diria a verdade se fosse necessário. means I would tell the truth if necessary.

Direct speech vs indirect speech

One of the most common uses of dizer is to introduce spoken words. There are two main ways to report speech: direct speech and indirect speech.

Direct speech (Discurso Direto)

In direct speech you quote the exact words someone said. In writing, this is often marked with punctuation, but in conversation you simply use a pause or intonation. Example: Maria disse: Vou chegar às oito.
Here, you are presenting Maria’s exact words. In Portuguese you can also use a comma or colon to introduce the quote.

Indirect speech (Discurso Indireto)

In indirect speech you relay the content without quoting verbatim. This often requires changes in verb tense, pronouns, and time expressions. Example: Maria disse que chegaria às oito.
Notice the verb chegar changes from chegarei or vou chegar to chegaria because the reporting verb was in the past. These shifts follow rules similar to English but with Portuguese-specific patterns.

Rules for tense sequence (Concordância de Tempos)

When dizer is in the past (most often pretérito perfeito), subordinate verbs in indirect speech usually shift one step back in time.

Present becomes imperfect: Eu digo que vou agora → Ele disse que vou → Ele disse que ia agora.
Present perfect becomes past perfect: Eu disse que já cheguei → Ela disse que já tinha chegado.
Future becomes conditional: Eu direi que vou → Ele disse que diria que ia.

These shifts help keep the time relationships clear. If the reporting verb is in the present, you can keep the original verb tense in the subordinate clause.

Common constructions with dizer

dizer pairs with various prepositions and pronouns to create nuanced meanings. Below are common patterns learners encounter.

dizer que + clause

Use this structure for most statements: Ele disse que não podia. means He said that he could not. Notice que introduces the subordinate clause, equivalent to that in English.

dizer para + person + que

When indicating who received the message, use para: Eu disse para ela esperar. means I told her to wait. In speech, Brazilians often drop para and use a simple pronoun: Eu disse a ela. Both are correct, but dropping para is more common in casual conversation.

dizer a + person

To indicate the indirect object, use a with a pronoun or name: Eles disseram ao professor. Ao is the contraction of a + o. When the person is a proper noun, use a: Eu disse a Maria que viria.

dizer-se

Reflexive use is less common but appears in expressions such as diz-se that mean it is said or people say: Diz-se que o lugar é bonito. This impersonal construction is equivalent to one says or it is said.

Pronoun placement with dizer

Portuguese pronoun placement depends on formality, verb tense, and whether the clause is affirmative or negative. In Brazilian Portuguese, clitic pronouns typically come after the verb in spoken language when not attached to an infinitive or gerund.

Common patterns

Quando usa pronome oblíquo átono com dizer, em português brasileiro você frequentemente coloca o pronome depois do verbo: Ela me disse. not Disse-me (which sounds formal or literary).
No infinitive: Dizer-me is formal; dizer-me is rare in colloquial Brazilian usage. Example: Ele quer me dizer algo means He wants to tell me something.

Examples

Ele me disse a verdade. (He told me the truth.)
Você lhe disse? (Did you tell him/her?) — note that lhe is used for third-person indirect object.
Eles nos disseram a notícia cedo. (They told us the news early.)

Imperative and suggestions with dizer

dizer is often used indirectly to give suggestions or commands by reporting what someone said. The imperative forms are useful for direct commands.

Imperative forms

Affirmative imperative: Dize is archaic; use diz in informal speech rarely. Instead, you often use falar or diga for polite commands: Diga a verdade. means Tell the truth.
Negative imperative: Não diga. means Do not tell.

For suggestions, use dizer que with conditional or subjunctive to report ideas: Ele disse que seria melhor esperar. means He said it would be better to wait.

Subjunctive after dizer

The subjunctive mood appears after dizer when introducing requests, doubts, wishes, or recommendations. Use the present or past subjunctive depending on time and certainty.

Present subjunctive

Digo que ele chegue cedo. sounds awkward; instead use subjunctive when the main clause expresses desire or doubt: Eu quero que você diga a verdade. means I want you to tell the truth. The verb in the subordinate clause is in the present subjunctive: diga.

Past subjunctive

Use the past subjunctive in hypothetical or past contexts: Se ele dissesse a verdade, tudo seria diferente. means If he had told the truth, everything would be different.

Common idiomatic expressions with dizer

Knowing idioms helps your Portuguese sound natural. Here are frequent expressions using dizer.

dizer a verdade — to tell the truth
dizer respeito a — to concern, to refer to
dizer que não — to refuse, to say no
dizer algo a alguém — to tell someone something
dizer mal de alguém — to speak ill of someone

Examples: Ele costuma dizer mal dos colegas. means He often speaks ill of his colleagues. Isso diz respeito ao seu trabalho means This concerns your work.

Practical tips for learners

Focus on these steps to use dizer naturally:

1. Learn the irregular stems: diz- (present), disse- (past), dir- (future/conditional).
2. Practice reporting speech: transform direct quotes into indirect with que and adjust tenses.
3. Use para or a to indicate whom you told, but expect Brazilians to often say Eu disse a ela or Eu disse pra ela.
4. Prefer me/te/nos placement after the verb in speech: Ele me disse, ela nos disse.
5. Remember that subjunctive appears after verbs of desire or doubt: Quero que você diga a verdade.

Cultural note

Brazilian Portuguese favors informal constructions in spoken language. You will hear pra instead of para and the clitic pronouns often post-verbal. In formal writing or on exams, follow prescriptive rules: prefer a pessoa, use lhe for indirect objects, and be careful with tense sequences in reported speech.

Real-life examples and breakdowns

Below are common sentences you will encounter, with a short grammatical breakdown to show how the rules apply.

Maria disse que viria amanhã.
Maria disse (reporting verb in past) + que + viria (future in reported speech becomes conditional/future-in-the-past). Meaning Maria said that she would come tomorrow.

Eu disse para João não esquecer o documento.
Eu disse para João (I told João) + não esquecer (infinitive used as the subordinate idea). This is a common structure for commands or reminders.

O professor disse que os alunos estudem mais.
O professor disse que (reporting) + os alunos estudem (present subjunctive) indicates recommendation or desire. In conversational Brazilian Portuguese, one might prefer O professor pediu que os alunos estudassem mais.

Dizem que o restaurante é ótimo.
Use of impersonal form dizem to say that people say something. This is useful for rumors or general opinions: They say the restaurant is great.

Common learner mistakes and how to avoid them

Beginners often make predictable errors with dizer. Here are some pitfalls and corrections:

Error: Using present tense in reported speech after a past reporting verb.
Correction: Shift the tense: Ele disse que vem hoje → Ele disse que vinha hoje.

Error: Incorrect pronoun placement in conversation: Disse-me often sounds stilted.
Correction: Use Ele me disse instead.

Error: Omitting que when needed: Ela disse vou chegar.
Correction: Use Ela disse que ia chegar. In spoken speech some speakers omit que, but in writing include it for clarity.

Conclusion

Mastering dizer opens many doors in Brazilian Portuguese because it is essential for reporting speech, making requests, and sharing information. Focus on irregular stems, tense changes in indirect speech, pronoun placement, and common idiomatic uses. With practice you will start to use dizer naturally in everyday conversations and understand how Brazilians express what people say.