Dizer
to say / to tell
Presente
Current actions, habits, and general truths.
| eu | digo | Eu digo o que penso — às vezes sem filtro. — I say what I think — sometimes without a filter. |
| você/ele/ela | diz | Ela diz pouco mas cada palavra pesa. — She says little but every word carries weight. |
| nós | dizemos | Nós dizemos muito com o silêncio também. — We say a great deal with silence too. |
| eles/elas | dizem | Eles dizem que o tempo cura tudo — e às vezes está certo. — They say time heals everything — and sometimes that's right. |
I say thank you for everything that sustains me — visible and invisible. My friend says what she thinks with an elegance you learn by watching. We say important things in moments that seem small. What is said stays — sometimes more than what is done.
Pret. Perfeito
Completed past actions — what happened.
| eu | disse | Eu disse o que sentia e não me arrependi. — I said what I felt and didn't regret it. |
| você/ele/ela | disse | Ela disse adeus de um jeito que soou como obrigada. — She said goodbye in a way that sounded like thank you. |
| nós | dissemos | Nós dissemos tudo que precisava ser dito naquele dia. — We said everything that needed to be said that day. |
| eles/elas | disseram | Eles disseram a verdade quando era mais fácil mentir. — They told the truth when it was easier to lie. |
The meeting was decisive. I said what I thought about the project without sugarcoating. My partner said the same with better words — and was heard. We said what needed to be said before the moment passed. Those who told the truth were the ones who built the most trust.
Pret. Imperfeito
Ongoing or habitual past — what used to happen or was happening.
| eu | dizia | Eu dizia sempre o que pensava sem medir o impacto. — I used to always say what I thought without measuring the impact. |
| você/ele/ela | dizia | Ela dizia que o café da manhã era o mais importante — e tinha razão. — She used to say that breakfast was the most important meal — and she was right. |
| nós | dizíamos | Nós dizíamos uma para a outra o que ninguém mais ouvia. — We used to say to each other what nobody else heard. |
| eles/elas | diziam | Eles diziam pouco mas mostravam tudo. — They used to say little but showed everything. |
My grandmother used to say that a given word is a debt — and she always kept it. She used to say what she thought without beating around the bush, but with affection. My mum used to say that the right silence speaks more than a thousand words. We used to say things in other ways — gestures, looks, presence.
Futuro Informal
Plans and intentions — "going to." The most common future form in spoken BR Portuguese.
| eu | vou dizer | Vou dizer a verdade mesmo que doa um pouco. — I'm going to tell the truth even if it stings a little. |
| você/ele/ela | vai dizer | Ela vai dizer o que pensa quando estiver pronta. — She's going to say what she thinks when she's ready. |
| nós | vamos dizer | Vamos dizer o que precisamos dizer antes que seja tarde. — We're going to say what we need to say before it's too late. |
| eles/elas | vão dizer | Eles vão dizer que foi a melhor decisão — depois de um tempo. — They're going to say it was the best decision — after some time. |
The conversation needs to happen this week. I'm going to say what I feel before the build-up turns into distance. My friend is going to tell her boss what she thinks of the project — finally. We're going to say difficult things with care, not cruelty. Those who are going to tell the truth now are going to feel lighter afterwards.
Futuro Formal
Formal future — "shall/will." More common in writing than speech.
| eu | direi | Direi a minha versão da história com cuidado e honestidade. — I will tell my version of the story with care and honesty. |
| você/ele/ela | dirá | A história dirá quem estava certo — sempre diz. — History will say who was right — it always does. |
| nós | diremos | Diremos o necessário e nada mais. — We will say what is necessary and nothing more. |
| eles/elas | dirão | Eles dirão ao mundo o que descobriram. — They will tell the world what they discovered. |
The speech was memorable: The commission will state its position without ambiguity. We will say what we established based on evidence. The experts will say what the science indicates — without interference. I will personally say what needs to be said to the board at the next meeting.
Condicional
Hypotheticals and polite requests — "would."
| eu | diria | Eu diria obrigada mais vezes se soubesse que as oportunidades acabam. — I would say thank you more often if I knew the opportunities run out. |
| você/ele/ela | diria | Ela diria o que sente se não tivesse tanto medo da reação. — She would say what she feels if she weren't so afraid of the reaction. |
| nós | diríamos | Diríamos mais coisas bonitas se tivéssemos mais coragem. — We would say more beautiful things if we had more courage. |
| eles/elas | diriam | Eles diriam a verdade se soubessem que não haveria consequência. — They would tell the truth if they knew there would be no consequence. |
If courage were cheaper, I would say thank you much more often out loud. My friend would tell his parents he loves them without waiting for the right moment. We would say more true things if the fear of judgement were smaller. People would say less of what others want to hear if approval weren't so necessary.
Dizer across the tenses
A short story using dizer in multiple tenses
Meu pai dizia pouco mas cada frase ficava. Dizia com o timing perfeito — na hora certa, a palavra certa. Nós filhos dizíamos mais e éramos ouvidos menos — a proporção inversa do peso.
Hoje eu digo obrigada com mais frequência. Ontem disse ao meu filho que estava orgulhosa — e vi nos olhos que valeu cada sílaba. Dizemos coisas que ficam sem saber que estão ficando.
No próximo encontro com ele, vou dizer o que fica adiando. Se eu conseguir, direi com a leveza que ele sempre me ensinou.
Perguntei o que ele diria se pudesse dizer uma última coisa ao mundo. Ele pensou: Diria valeu a pena. Cada dia. Mesmo os difíceis — talvez especialmente esses.
My dad used to say little but every sentence stayed. He used to say it with perfect timing — at the right moment, the right word. We children used to say more and were heard less — the inverse proportion of weight. Today I say thank you more frequently. Yesterday I told my son I was proud — and saw in his eyes it was worth every syllable. We say things that stay without knowing they are staying. At the next meeting with him, I'm going to say what I've been putting off. If I manage it, I will say it with the lightness he always taught me. I asked what he would say if he could say one last thing to the world. He thought: I would say it was worth it. Every day. Even the hard ones — perhaps especially those.
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