Updated December 23, 2025 — Lesson written by French teacher David Issokson for students who want to learn French online, with native audio by Marie Assel Cambier, a voice artist from France.
The verb dire (to say/tell) is one of the top 10 most used verbs in the French language. It is critical to master its forms and conjugations for two main reasons:
- Core Irregular Verb: It is a foundational irregular verb that must be fully memorized by every beginner due to its unpredictable stem changes and unique forms (e.g., vous dites).
- Structural Function: It is the required verb for managing direct and indirect speech (reporting what someone else said), making instant recognition of its conjugated forms indispensable for conversation.
This comprehensive lesson includes clear charts by French teacher David Issokson and professional native audio by voice artist Marie Assel Cambier. Use this page to practice the six main tenses and access the full conjugation table below.
✅ Dire in Six Main Tenses (with Audio)
✅ Dire conjugation chart
✅ Complete Conjugation of dire (All Tenses)
Dire Conjugation & Pronunciation in 6 Main Tenses (with audio)
Present (présent)
je dis – I say
tu dis – you say
il, elle dit – he, she says
nous disons – we say
vous dites – you say
ils, elles disent – they say
Passé composé
j’ai dit – I said
tu as dit – you said
il, elle a dit – he, she said
nous avons dit – we said
vous avez dit – you said
ils, elles ont dit – they said
Imperfect (imparfait)
je disais – I was saying, used to say
tu disais – you were saying
il, elle disait – he, she was saying
nous disions – we were saying
vous disiez – you were saying
ils, elles disaient – they were saying
Simple future (futur simple)
je dirai – I will say
tu diras – you will say
il, elle dira – he, she will say
nous dirons – we will say
vous direz – you will say
ils, elles diront – they will say
Conditional (conditionnel)
je dirais – I would say
tu dirais – you would say
il, elle dirait – he, she would say
nous dirions – we would say
vous diriez – you would say
ils, elles diraient – they would say
Subjunctive (subjonctif)
que je dise – that I say
que tu dises – that you say
qu’il, elle dise – that he, she say
que nous disions – that we say
que vous disiez – that you say
qu’ils, elles disent – that they say
Dire conjugation chart
These are the six most important tenses you can start using for French conversations today!
Complete Conjugation of Dire (All Tenses)
If you need a full reference, here’s a detailed conjugation of dire in every major tense and mood.
This is a great tool for teachers, advanced learners, or anyone who wants to see the whole picture.
| Present je dis tu dis il, elle dit nous disons vous dites ils, elles disent | Passé simple je dis tu dis il, elle dit nous dîmes vous dîtes ils, elles dirent | Imperfect je disais tu disais il, elle disait nous disions vous disiez ils, elles disaient | Simple future je dirai tu diras il, elle dira nous dirons vous direz ils, elles diront |
| Passé composé j’ai dit tu as dit il, elle a dit nous avons dit vous avez dit ils, elles ont dit | Past anterior j’eus dit tu eus dit il, elle eut dit nous eûmes dit vous eûtes dit ils, elles eurent dit | Pluperfect j’avais dit tu avais dit il, elle avait dit nous avions dit vous aviez dit ils, elles avaient dit | Future perfect j’aurai dit tu auras dit il, elle aura dit nous aurons dit vous aurez dit ils, elles auront dit |
| Present subjunctive que je dise que tu dises qu’il, elle dise que nous disions que vous disiez qu’ils, elles disent | Past subjunctive que j’aie dit que tu aies dit qu’il, elle ait dit que nous ayons dit que vous ayez dit qu’ils, elles aient dit | Imperfect subjunctive que je disse que tu disses qu’il, elle dît que nous dissions que vous dissiez qu’ils, elles dissent | Pluperfect subjunctive que j’eusse dit que tu eusses dit qu’il, elle eût dit que nous eussions dit que vous eussiez dit qu’ils, elles eussent dit |
| Present conditional je dirais tu dirais il, elle dirait nous dirions vous diriez ils, elles diraient | Past conditional I j’aurais dit tu aurais dit il, elle aurait dit nous aurions dit vous auriez dit ils, elles auraient dit | Past conditional II j’eusse dit tu eusses dit il, elle eût dit nous eussions dit vous eussiez dit ils, elles eussent dit | |
| Present imperative dis disons dites | Present infinitive dire | Present participle disant | |
| Past imperative aie dit ayons dit ayez dit | Past infinitive avoir dit | Past participle dit |
✅ Ready to use dire in real sentences?
Now that you’ve mastered all the conjugations, explore some example sentences, expressions, and common mistakes on my dire Word of the Day lesson.
👉 Dire — examples and usage »
👉 Que veut dire (what does _ mean?) »
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📊 Explore the Top-10 French verbs!
👉 être – to be
👉 avoir – to have
👉 aller – to go
👉 faire – to do / make
👉 dire – to say / tell
👉 pouvoir – can, to be able to
👉 vouloir – to want
👉 savoir – to know (a fact / how)
👉 voir – to see
👉 venir – to come
Dire — Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How do you conjugate dire in the present tense?
The present tense of dire is: je dis, tu dis, il/elle dit, nous disons, vous dites, ils/elles disent.
How do you conjugate dire in the passé composé?
The passé composé of dire is: j’ai dit, tu as dit, il/elle a dit, nous avons dit, vous avez dit, ils/elles ont dit.
How do you conjugate dire in the future tense?
The simple future tense of dire is: je dirai, tu diras, il/elle dira, nous dirons, vous direz, ils/elles diront.
How do you conjugate dire in the imperfect tense?
The imperfect tense (imparfait) of dire is: je disais, tu disais, il/elle disait, nous disions, vous disiez, ils/elles disaient.
How do you conjugate dire in the subjunctive?
The present subjunctive of dire is: que je dise, que tu dises, qu’il/elle dise, que nous disions, que vous disiez, qu’ils/elles disent.
