Falar vs. Dizer: Say, Speak, and Tell in Brazilian Portuguese
Use falar for speaking or talking about a subject, and dizer to focus on the words or message someone says.
Real Life Portuguese · 6 min read · Updated October 14, 2026
The short answer
Falar often means to speak or talk. Use it for languages, a conversation, or a topic: falar português (speak Portuguese), falar com alguém (talk with someone), falar sobre trabalho (talk about work).
Use falar for speaking or talking
The person you talk with commonly follows com. A topic can follow sobre, although the preposition may vary with the sentence and expression.
Ela fala português e inglês.
She speaks Portuguese and English.
Posso falar com você depois?
Can I talk with you later?
A gente falou sobre a viagem.
We talked about the trip.
Use dizer to focus on the words or information
Dizer often means to say or tell. It focuses on the message: dizer a verdade (tell the truth), dizer o nome (say the name), dizer que… (say that…). You can name the person receiving the message with a pronoun or add the words that were said.
The simple past is disse for eu, ele, ela, você, and a gente. The form can be irregular, so learn it in useful phrases rather than trying to predict it from the infinitive.
O que você disse?
What did you say?
Ela me disse que vai chegar mais tarde.
She told me she will arrive later.
Pode dizer seu nome, por favor?
Could you say your name, please?
Compare the message with the conversation
Some sentences can use either verb with a difference in emphasis. Falar sobre a mudança draws attention to discussing the change; dizer que houve uma mudança focuses on reporting that information. In conversation, context often makes the choice clear.
To ask someone to repeat their exact words, use dizer: O que você disse? To ask about a language or conversation, use falar: Você fala português? These are reliable starting points for learners.
Ele falou com a professora depois da aula.
He spoke with the teacher after class.
Ele disse que a aula terminou.
He said that class ended.
Quero falar sobre uma ideia e dizer o que penso.
I want to talk about an idea and say what I think.
Put it into practice
Make one sentence about a conversation with falar and one about the exact message with dizer. Then ask O que você disse? as a natural clarification question.
Quick practice
Which Portuguese example matches “She told me she will arrive later”?
Choose an answer to check yourself.
Keep practicing with the Real Life Portuguese app
Build on this guide with everyday expressions and native Brazilian audio. Choose iPhone, Android, or the web app.