Irregular Future: Dizer

Most Portuguese verbs are very polite in the future. They keep their full infinitive and just add endings. For example, falar becomes falarei. It is easy and predictable. But dizer is part of a small, exclusive club. This club also includes fazer and trazer. These verbs decided that the full infinitive was too long. They chopped off a few letters to make things faster. For dizer, the middle ze vanishes into thin air. You are left with the stem dir-. This happens for every single person in the future. It is actually quite efficient once you get used to it. Think of it like a grammar traffic light. Green means go with the short version! If you try to say dizerei, you'll see some confused faces. Yes, even native speakers mess this up in their heads sometimes. But you are going to get it right every time.

1. 1Learning this pattern is a simple three-step process.
2. 2Start with the infinitive dizer.
3. 3Remove the letters ze from the middle.
4. 4Add the standard future endings to the new stem dir-.
5. 5Here is how the endings look with our new stem:
6. 6Eu + dir- + ei = direi (I will say)
7. 7Tu + dir- + ás = dirás (You will say - informal)
8. 8Ele/Ela/Você + dir- + á = dirá (He/She/You will say)
9. 9Nós + dir- + emos = diremos (We will say)
10. 10Vós + dir- + eis = direis (You all will say - rare/formal)
11. 11Eles/Elas/Vocês + dir- + ão = dirão (They/You all will say)
12. 12See how the endings are the same as regular verbs? Only the stem changed to dir-. It is like putting new wheels on an old car. The car looks different but the engine is familiar.

You should reach for this tense in specific situations. It is perfect for formal writing and professional emails. If you are in a job interview, use it. It shows you have a high level of education. Use it when making firm promises about the future. For example, "I will tell the truth in court." It sounds much more serious than the casual version. You will also see this in news reports. News anchors love the simple future for dramatic effect. It works well for official announcements or public speeches. If you are writing a book, this is your best friend. It gives your prose a lovely, sophisticated rhythm. In short, use it when you want to impress. It is the "tuxedo" of Portuguese tenses.

Do not use this at the beach with friends. It will sound very stiff and a bit weird. For daily chats, we use the "Futuro Próximo." That is just the verb ir plus the infinitive. For example, Vou dizer isso depois (I am going to say that later). Using direi at a party is like wearing a suit to a pool. It is not wrong, but everyone will notice. Avoid it in casual text messages to your siblings. They might think you are being sarcastic or too formal. Also, avoid it if you are unsure of the endings. A wrong ending on an irregular verb is double trouble. If the situation is relaxed, keep it simple with vou dizer. Your friends will appreciate the casual vibe.

The biggest mistake is trying to be too regular. People often say dizerei instead of direi. It sounds logical, but it is unfortunately incorrect. It's like saying "I goed" instead of "I went." Another common slip is forgetting the accents. The á in dirá and the ão in dirão are vital. Without them, the word sounds totally different to a native ear. Some people also confuse the future with the conditional. Remember: direi is "I will say," but diria is "I would say." Do not mix up your "wills" and your "woulds." Finally, don't overthink the stem. It is always dir-, no exceptions for this verb. If you find yourself adding extra letters, stop! Simpler is better with this specific irregular.

Let's compare dizer with its close cousin falar. To say "I will speak," you use falarei. Notice how the full word falar stays put. Now look at dizer. It becomes direi. The change is drastic and catches people off guard. Also, compare it with fazer (to do). Fazer becomes farei, following the same "drop the middle" rule. These two verbs are like siblings that share a secret. Regular verbs like comer or partir never do this. They are the "boring" ones that follow every rule perfectly. Dizer is the cool kid that skips a few steps. Also, contrast this with the future subjunctive. That looks like se eu disser. Note the double s and the different stem. Future simple = dir-. Subjunctive = diss-. Don't let them switch places in your head!