verb

dire

say · to tell

Esprimere qualcosa con le parole.

Word: dire

Language: Italian

Meaning

The Italian verb "dire" means "to say" or "to tell" in English. It is an essential and very common verb used to report speech, express thoughts, state facts, or give commands.

Details

Part of speech: Verb (irregular)
Base form: dire
Conjugation: The verb is irregular in many tenses (e.g., present indicative: dico, dici, dice; passato remoto: dissi, dicesti, disse, etc.).

Usage

To say / To tell:
- Lei sa cosa dire. → "She knows what to say."
- Mi ha detto la verità. → "He/She told me the truth."
Sometimes used in idiomatic expressions:
- Non dire sciocchezze! → "Don’t say nonsense!"
- Dire la propria → "To say what one thinks / give one's opinion."

Parts of the Word

"dire" itself is derived from the Latin verb dicere, meaning "to say." It does not break down further into smaller, meaningful components in modern Italian.

Synonyms

Raccontare: to tell, to narrate (more related to telling a story)
Affermare: to affirm, to state
Esprimere: to express (in certain contexts)
Comunicar(e): to communicate, to inform

Antonyms

Since "dire" means to speak or say, antonyms would relate to silence or withholding speech, such as:

Tacere: to be silent, to not say
Zittire: to hush, to silence

Summary

The verb "dire" is a fundamental Italian verb meaning "to say" or "to tell," commonly used in everyday speech as well as formal contexts when reporting or expressing speech or thoughts. It is irregular and varies in form depending on tense and grammatical person.