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"Decir" is a transitive verb which is often translated as "to say", and "llegar a" is a transitive verb phrase which is often translated as "to get to". Learn more about the difference between "decir" and "llegar a" below.
decir(
deh
-
seer
)A transitive verb is a verb that requires a direct object (e.g., I bought a book.).
1. (to speak)
a. to say
¿Qué dices de la nueva ley de transporte?What do you say about the new law on transportation?
c. to believe
¿Quién hubiera dicho que Juliana y Gustavo acabarían juntos?Who would have believed that Juliana and Gustavo would end up together?
5. (to narrate)
a. to recite
Ahora voy a decir un poema nuevo que escribí sobre el amor perdido.Now I will recite a poem I wrote about lost love.
6. (to signify)
a. to tell
El que no le interese planear la boda me dice que Jorge no está listo para casarse.The fact that he's not interested in planning the wedding tells me Jorge's not ready to get married.
8. (religious)
a. to go ahead
¿Le puedo pedir un favor? - ¡Claro! Dime, ¿en qué lo puedo ayudar?Can I ask a favor of you? - Of course! Go ahead, how can I help you?
An intransitive verb is one that does not require a direct object (e.g., The man sneezed.).
A masculine noun is used with masculine articles and adjectives (e.g., el hombre guapo, el sol amarillo).
11. (proverb)
a. saying
"De tal palo, tal astilla" es un decir popular."Like father, like son" is a popular saying.
a. manner of speaking
¡No te enfades, mujer! Es solo un decir.Come on, don't get annoyed! It's just a manner of speaking.
decirse
A reflexive verb is a verb that indicates that the subject performs an action on itself (e.g., Miguel se lava.).
a. to tell oneself
Me dije que no volvería a empezar a fumar.I told myself that I wouldn't start smoking again.
b. to say to oneself
Me dije a mí misma, esto no parece estar bien.I said to myself, this doesn't feel right.
c. to think to oneself
Me sigo diciendo, ¿qué hubiera pasado si hubiera aceptado ese trabajo?I keep thinking to myself, what would have happened had I taken that job?
llegar a(
yeh
-
gahr
ah
)A transitive verb phrase is a phrase that combines a verb with a preposition or other particle and requires a direct object (e.g., take out the trash.).
a. to get to
A este paso, vamos a llegar a la casa de Mauricio a la medianoche.At this pace, we're going to get to Mauricio's house at midnight.
b. to arrive at
Nuestro vuelo llegó al aeropuerto de Helsinki a las 2 pm.Our flight arrived at the Helsinki airport at 2 pm.
c. to arrive in
El "Concorde" fue el último barco en llegar a Rotterdam antes de que cerraran el puerto.The "Concorde" was the last ship to arrive in Rotterdam before they closed down the port.
d. to arrive to
Paremos en la tienda a comprar una botella de vino. No quiero llegar a la fiesta con las manos vacías.Let's stop at the convenience store to buy a bottle of wine. I don't want to arrive to the party empty-handed.
b. to make it to
No solo quiero llegar a los 80, si no que quiero llegar en buena salud.I not only want to make it to 80, but I want to make it in good health.
c. to come to
Tras interrogar al sospechoso por horas, ambos detectives llegaron a la misma conclusión: el tipo era inocente.After interrogating the suspect for hours, both detectives arrived to the same conclusion; the guy was innocent.
a. to reach
La llave cayó en ese hoyo y no puedo llegar a ella.The key fell into that hole and I can't reach it.
b. to come up to
Estábamos en un pantano, y el lodo nos llegaba a las rodillas.We were in a swamp, and the mud came up to our knees.
c. to touch
Los pantalones de tu traje no deberían tocar el piso.The pants of your suit shouldn't touch the floor.
a. to come to
¿Crees que Julio y Mariana terminen? - No. No creo que llegue a eso.Do you think Julio and Mariana will break up? - No. I don't think it will come to that.
b. to reach
Se proyecta que el próximo año la deuda nacional llegará a un trillón de dólares.The national debt is projected to reach one trillion dollars next year.
c. to be
Dependiendo del seguro que tenga, una cirugía de rodilla puede llegar a ser muy costosa.Depending on the insurance you have, a knee surgery can be very costly.
