El pretérito de decir

Spanish preterite verbs usually follow a pattern. But decir is part of a special group. We call them the J-stem verbs. Why? Because the middle of the word changes to a j. It is like a little grammar makeover. The root dec- disappears. In its place, you get dij-. This new stem stays the same for every person. You just add special endings. Here is the big secret: these endings do not have accents. Most preterite verbs love accents. Decir is too cool for them. It keeps things simple and flat. If you add an accent, you are actually making a mistake. Think of the j as a hook. It hooks the past and holds it tight.

1. 1To build this verb, follow these three simple steps:
2. 2Start with the irregular stem: dij-.
3. 3Choose the ending for the person you want.
4. 4Combine them without any accent marks.
5. 5Here are the forms you need to memorize:
6. 6Yo (I): dije
7. 7Tú (You): dijiste
8. 8Él / Ella / Usted (He/She/You formal): dijo
9. 9Nosotros (We): dijimos
10. 10Vosotros (You all - Spain): dijisteis
11. 11Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes (They/You all): dijeron
12. 12Pay close attention to the last one. It is dijeron, not dijieron. That extra i is a common trap. It just vanishes. It is like the j ate the i for lunch. Don't let it happen to you!

You use decir in the preterite for specific events. Imagine you are at a job interview. The recruiter asks, "What did your last boss say about you?" You would reply, Mi jefe dijo que soy trabajador. It happened once. It is over.

Here are some common scenarios:

• Reporting news: Ella me dijo la noticia (She told me the news).
• Giving directions: Él dijo que girara a la derecha (He said to turn right).
• Ordering food: Le dije al camarero que quería agua (I told the waiter I wanted water).
• Setting a date: Dijimos que el sábado era mejor (We said Saturday was better).

It is your go-to tool for reporting speech. If the words left someone's mouth at a specific time, use dije, dijo, or dijeron. It’s like a grammar traffic light—green means go ahead and tell the story!

Do not use this for habits. If you "used to say" something every day, use the imperfect tense (decía). The preterite is for a one-time thing.

Avoid decir in the preterite if:

• You are describing a background situation.
• You are talking about what people generally said in the past.
• The action has no clear beginning or end.

Think of it this way: Preterite is a point. Imperfect is a line. If you can draw a point on a calendar, use dije. If it feels like a fuzzy memory of a long-term habit, skip it.

Even native speakers mess this up sometimes! The biggest mistake is adding accents. You might want to write dijó because other verbs do that. Resist the urge! It is always dijo (Dih-ho).

Another huge one is the "i" in the they-form. Many people say dijieron. It sounds okay, but it is wrong. It is dijeron. Think of the j as a very crowded bus. There is simply no room for that extra i.

Also, watch out for the dec- stem. Do not say decí or deció. Those words don't exist in the past. If you start with dec-, you've already lost the game. Always start with dij-.

Decir behaves like other J-stem verbs. Look at traer (to bring). It becomes traje, trajo, trajeron. See the pattern? They all share those same accent-free endings.

How does it compare to the present tense? In the present, you say digo. It also has a weird stem, but it is a g. In the past, it flips to a j. It is like the verb is trying to keep you on your toes.

If you compare it to hablar (to speak), hablar is regular: hablé. It has an accent. Decir is irregular: dije. No accent. It is like comparing a standard sedan to a custom sports car. Both get you there, but one has a lot of unique parts.