dire

Senses

1. 1.

   to say

   to speak or utter words

2. 2.

   to tell

   to communicate information or a story to someone

3. 3.

   to mean

   to signify or express an idea

4. 4.

   to say (+ adjective/noun)

   to declare or describe someone/something as

Examples

• "Il m'a dit qu'il arriverait demain."

  He told me he would arrive tomorrow.

• "Que veux-tu dire par là?"

  What do you mean by that?

• "On dit que c'est un bon restaurant."

  They say it's a good restaurant.

Usage

Dire is one of the most common French verbs. It forms many useful expressions: *à dire vrai* (to tell the truth), *vouloir dire* (to mean), *on dit* (they say, it's said). Conjugation is irregular: *je dis, tu dis, il dit, nous disons, vous dites, ils disent*.