Ever been in a conversation where you're trying to spill some tea, but you realize you don't actually know how to quote someone? It's frustrating. You're there, gesturing wildly, trying to explain what your boss or your best friend whispered, but you're stuck on the basic mechanics of how to handle the phrase "they said."
Learning how to say they said in Spanish isn't just about memorizing a single word from a textbook. It's actually about understanding the vibe of the story you're telling. Spanish is moody. It cares about whether the talking is finished, whether it was a repeated habit, or if you're just reporting a cold, hard fact. If you mess up the tense, you might accidentally make it sound like they were saying something for five hours straight when they actually just blurted out a single sentence.
Dijeron vs. Decían: The Great Past Tense Showdown
Most people starting out just grab the first translation they find: dijeron. And honestly? That's usually fine. Dijeron is the preterite form of the verb decir. It’s a closed box. It happened, it ended, and now we’re moving on.
Imagine you’re telling a friend about a meeting. You say, "Ellos dijeron que no." (They said no.) Boom. Done. One-time event.
But then there’s decían. This is the imperfect tense. Using decían changes the flavor entirely. It suggests a recurring action or a background state. If you say "Ellos decían que no," it feels more like "They used to say no" or "They were saying no (continually)." It’s the difference between a snapshot and a video. Most learners trip up here because English just uses "said" for both, and we rely on context clues to figure out the timing. In Spanish, the verb does the heavy lifting for you.
Why the Context of "They Said" Changes Everything
You've gotta think about who "they" are. In Spanish, "they" could be ellos (all guys or a mixed group) or ellas (all women). But here’s the kicker: Spanish speakers often drop the pronoun entirely. You don’t need to say "Ellos dijeron." Just "Dijeron" is enough. The ending of the verb tells you exactly who is doing the talking.
There's also the "General They." You know, like when we say "They say it's going to rain." In Spanish, that's often handled with the reflexive "se dice." It’s passive. It’s "it is said."
Real-world example: If you're reading a news report in El País, you'll likely see "se dice que..." or "se comenta que..." rather than a specific group of people being blamed for the quote.
If you are quoting someone specifically, you might use mencionar (to mention) or afirmar (to affirm/state). Using dijeron every single time makes you sound like a toddler. If you want to sound like a native, you have to mix it up. "Ellos aseguraron..." (They assured...) or "Ellos señalaron..." (They pointed out...) gives your storytelling some actual muscle.
Dialects and the "They Said" Variation
Spanish isn't a monolith. How you say they said in Spanish might change slightly in rhythm or preference depending on where you are. In Spain, you might hear the present perfect more often—han dicho—even for things that just happened. "Ellos han dicho que van a venir." (They have said they are coming.)
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In Mexico or Colombia, you’re much more likely to stick with the simple preterite dijeron for anything that happened in the past, whether it was five minutes ago or five years ago. This is one of those subtle things that marks you as someone who has actually spent time in a specific region versus someone who just used a translation app.
The Tricky Business of Indirect Speech
When you use they said in Spanish, you're often entering the world of indirect speech. This is where things get messy for English speakers. In English, we say: "They said they were hungry." In Spanish: "Dijeron que tenían hambre."
Notice the "que"? You cannot skip it. In English, we skip "that" all the time. "They said [that] they were hungry." In Spanish, that que is the glue. If you leave it out, the sentence falls apart and you’ll get a confused look.
And then there's the backshifting of tenses. If the original statement was "We are going," and you want to say "They said they were going," you have to shift from the present (van) to the imperfect (iban).
- Original: "Vamos al cine."
- Reported: "Dijeron que iban al cine."
It feels like mental gymnastics at first. You’re trying to conjugate the verb for "saying" and then immediately conjugate another verb to match the timeframe of the quote. It takes practice. Lots of it.
Common Mistakes That Give You Away
The biggest mistake? Using the wrong "they." If you're talking about a group of women and you use dijeron but then refer back to them as ellos, it's a clunker. But even more common is the "say vs. tell" confusion.
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In English, we distinguish between "they said" and "they told me." In Spanish, decir covers both, but the structure changes.
"They told me" = "Me dijeron."
"They said that..." = "Dijeron que..."
If you try to say "Ellos dijeron me," you're going to get some laughs. The indirect object pronoun (me, te, le, nos, les) has to come before the conjugated verb. It's "Ellos me dijeron," not the other way around.
Moving Beyond the Basics: Professional vs. Slang
If you're in a business meeting in Madrid, you aren't just going to say "Dijeron." You'll use "Manifestaron" (They manifested/stated) or "Expusieron" (They exposed/explained). It sounds more formal, more "expert."
On the street? You might hear "Saltaron con que..." which is a very colloquial way of saying "They came out with..." or "They jumped in with..." It implies the statement was a bit unexpected or annoying.
Breaking Down the Conjugations
For those who need the quick reference, here is how the verb decir (to say) looks when you're talking about "them" (ellos/ellas/ustedes):
- Past (Preterite): Dijeron (They said - completed action)
- Past (Imperfect): Decían (They were saying/used to say)
- Present: Dicen (They say)
- Future: Dirán (They will say)
- Conditional: Dirían (They would say)
- Present Perfect: Han dicho (They have said)
Honestly, the preterite dijeron is the one you’ll use 90% of the time. Just remember that the "j" in there is a weird irregularity. Most verbs in the "they" form of the preterite end in -ieron or -aron, but decir turns into dijeron, not decieron. If you say decieron, everyone will know you’re still a rookie. It's one of those classic "irregular verb" traps that Spanish loves to set for us.
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Actionable Steps for Mastering the Phrase
To really get comfortable with saying they said in Spanish, stop thinking in English.
First, start by listening for the "que." Whenever you hear a native speaker say dijeron, listen for the word that follows. It's almost always que. Training your ear to hear that pair will help you stop forgetting it when you speak.
Second, practice the "Me dijeron" vs "Dijeron" distinction. Tell yourself a story in the shower. "They told me the store was closed." (Me dijeron que la tienda estaba cerrada.) "They said it was expensive." (Dijeron que era caro.)
Third, pay attention to the "General They." When you want to say "People say..." or "They say...", try using "Dicen que..." or "Se dice que..." instead of trying to figure out who the specific "they" is. It's a great shortcut that makes you sound much more natural.
Finally, record yourself. It sounds cringey, but recording yourself saying "Ellos me dijeron lo que pasó" (They told me what happened) helps you hear if you're stumbling over those irregular "j" sounds or the placement of the "me."
Mastering this isn't about being a grammar robot. It's about being able to share stories, pass on information, and connect with people. When you can fluently report what someone else said, you’re no longer just speaking a language—you’re participating in a culture.