French verbs follow a regular conjugation pattern according to which group they belong to. Dire (to say) is a regular -re verb of the third group. Here is how to conjugate dire in the present tense:
Present Tense
| Pronoun | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| je | dis |
| tu | dis |
| il/elle/on | dit |
| nous | disons |
| vous | dites |
| ils/elles | disent |
As you can see, dire follows a regular conjugation pattern in the present tense. The singular forms are dis, dis, dit, and the plural forms are disons, dites, disent. The main irregularity is the nous and vous forms, which end in -ons and -tes instead of just -s.
Compound Tenses
In compound tenses like the perfect, pluperfect, and future perfect, dire is conjugated the same way with the addition of the appropriate auxiliary verb. Here are some examples:
- J’ai dit (I have said)
- Tu avais dit (You had said)
- Il aura dit (He will have said)
The past participle dit remains unchanged regardless of the subject pronoun. So compound tense conjugation follows a regular pattern for dire.
Imperative
Here is how to conjugate dire in the imperative mood:
| Pronoun | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| tu | dis |
| nous | disons |
| vous | dites |
The imperative forms follow the same pattern as the present tense conjugation, with the irregular nous and vous forms.
Subjunctive
In the present subjunctive, dire is conjugated as follows:
| Pronoun | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| que je | dise |
| que tu | dises |
| qu’il/elle/on | dise |
| que nous | disions |
| que vous | disiez |
| qu’ils/elles | disent |
The subjunctive forms are all regular. The main stem is dis- for all subjects, with the endings -e, -es, -e, -ions, -iez, -ent.
Imperfect Subjunctive
In the imperfect subjunctive, dire is conjugated as:
| Pronoun | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| que je | disse |
| que tu | disses |
| qu’il/elle/on | dît |
| que nous | dissions |
| que vous | dissiez |
| qu’ils/elles | dissent |
Again, the forms are completely regular. The stem is diss- and the endings are the same as in the present subjunctive.
Conclusion
In summary, dire conjugates regularly in French according to the -re verb pattern, with some slight irregularities in the nous and vous forms. The main things to remember are:
- Present tense endings: -s, -s, -t, -ons, -tes, -ent
- Same stem dire- for all subjects
- Imperative forms same as present tense
- Compound tenses formed with auxiliary + past participle dit
- Subjunctive forms regular with endings -e, -es, -e, -ions, -iez, -ent
Knowing these basic conjugation rules will help you use dire correctly in French sentences. With regular practice, saying “dire” in French will become second nature!