In this lesson, we will continue our exploration of the affirmative imperative in Spanish. Focusing specifically on the verb ‘decir’ (to say/tell) combined with indirect object pronouns, we’ll delve into how this verb is used in commands and requests. This is an essential skill for anyone looking to enhance their ability to give directions or relay messages effectively in Spanish. By the end of this session, you’ll be more confident in your ability to use ‘decir’ in various communicative contexts.
Objectives:
- Understand the structure and use of the affirmative imperative form of “decir”.
- Learn how to combine “decir” with indirect object pronouns in commands.
- Practice forming and using imperative sentences with “decir” to improve conversational fluency.
- Apply these structures in practical, real-life communication scenarios.
If you need to learn more about the indirect object pronouns we have included a short recap at the end of this page.
Points to remember:
- Position: Indirect object pronouns typically precede the verb except in affirmative commands where they are attached to the end of the verb.
- Accentuation: When attached to affirmative commands, an accent might be needed to maintain the original stress of the verb.
Building commands with indirect object pronouns
For commands, we use the imperative mode and can add pronouns after the verb:
Verb (imperative) + pronoun (indirect object)
Examples:
– Envíale el documento para mañana por la mañana. (Send her the document by tomorrow morning)
– Infórmales acerca de la reunión a las 2 de la tarde. (Inform them about the meeting at 2 PM)
“Decir” with Indirect Object Pronouns
| Indirect Object Pronoun | tú | usted | vosotros | ustedes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| me | díme | dígame | decidme | díganme |
| te | díte | dígate | decidte | dígante |
| le | díle | dígale | decidle | díganle |
| nos | dínos | díganos | decidnos | dígannos |
| os | díos | dígaos | decid | díganos |
| les | díles | dígales | decidles | díganles |
This table illustrates how to conjugate “decir” in the imperative mood while directing the action toward various recipients using indirect object pronouns:
- me, te, le, nos, os, les refer to the person who is to receive the message or information. (To recall indirect pronouns read a short recap at the end of this page)
- The imperative forms change slightly depending on the pronoun used. For example, “díme” (tell me), “díte” (tell you, informal), and “díle” (tell him/her/formal you).
- In each case, the pronoun is directly attached to the verb, forming a single word in the affirmative imperative.
Familia García Conversation: Using “Decir” in the Imperative
Review the following dialog to see how the verb decir is used with indirect object pronouns.
| Spanish Dialogue | English Translation |
|---|---|
| Antonio: Juan, díme donde dejaste las llaves del coche. | Antonio: Juan, tell me where you left the car keys. |
| Juan: Papá, te las dejé en la mesa. | Juan: Dad, I left them on the table for you. |
| Penélope: Lucía, díle a tu abuela que la cena está lista. | Penélope: Lucía, tell your grandmother that dinner is ready. |
| Lucía: Abuela, mamá dice que vengas a cenar. | Lucía: Grandma, mom says come to dinner. |
| Abuela Rosa: Gracias, cariño. Díganme si necesitan ayuda en la cocina. | Abuela Rosa: Thank you, dear. Let me know if you need help in the kitchen. |
| Abuelo Miguel: Niños, decidnos qué queréis hacer este fin de semana. | Abuelo Miguel: Kids, tell us what you want to do this weekend. |
| Juan: Mamá, díle a papá que ya limpié el garaje. | Juan: Mom, tell dad that I already cleaned the garage. |
| Penélope: Antonio, díme si vas a llegar tarde hoy. | Penélope: Antonio, tell me if you are going to be late today. |
| Lucía: Papá, dínos cuándo vamos a visitar a los primos. | Lucía: Dad, tell us when we are going to visit the cousins. |
| Antonio: Hijos, díganle a vuestra madre que la película empieza a las ocho. | Antonio: Kids, tell your mother that the movie starts at eight. |
Important: Watch out for accents
Whenever we attach an object pronoun to a verb in the imperative, we have to check the resulting word to see if it now requires an accent.
Example:
Piensa un nombre para la tienda. → Piénsalo.
The stress of the resulting word falls on the third-to-last syllable (palabra esdrújula) so it now requires an accent.
Of course these rules doesn’t apply to all verbs. So, just watch for the accents to see which verbs are accented when attached to indirect pronouns.
| Verb (Infinitive) | tú | usted | vosotros | ustedes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dar | dáme | déme | dadme | dénme |
| Decir | díme | dígame | vdecidme[/sayit] | díganme |
| Enviar | envíame | envíeme | enviadme | envíenme |
| Mostrar | muéstrame | muéstreme | mostradme | muéstrenme |
| Traer | tráeme | tráigame | traedme | tráiganme |
| Pasar | pásame | pásame | pasadme | pásenme |
| Poner | ponme | póngame | ponedme | pónganme |
| Hacer | hazme | hágame | hacedme | háganme |
| Tomar | tómame | tómemame | tomadme | tómenme |
| Levantar | levántame | levánteme | levantadme | levántenme |
Practicamos un poco: Affirmative imperative with indirect object pronouns
Recap: Indirect Pronouns in Spanish
A quick recap of indirect object pronouns in Spanish is essential for understanding whom an action is intended for. These pronouns replace the noun phrases that would otherwise specify the recipient of an action, making sentences more concise and fluent.
Indirect Object Pronouns in Spanish
| Pronoun | English Equivalent | Example (Spanish) | Example (English) |
|---|---|---|---|
| me | to/for me | Me das el libro. | You give me the book. |
| te | to/for you (singular informal) | Te escribo una carta. | I write you a letter. |
| le | to/for him/her/you (singular formal) | Le envío un correo. | I send him/her/you an email. |
| nos | to/for us | Nos muestran la casa. | They show us the house. |
| os | to/for you (plural informal) | Os ofrecen un café. | They offer you a coffee. |
| les | to/for them/you (plural formal) | Les cuento una historia. | I tell them/you a story. |