Say, Tell, and Speak in Portuguese: Dizer, Contar, or Falar?
Use dizer for saying words, contar for telling a story, and falar for speaking a language or having a conversation.
Real Life Portuguese · 5 min read · Updated October 15, 2026
The short answer
Dizer means to say or tell someone information. Use dizer algo (say something) or dizer algo para alguém (say something to someone). The past form disse is common in conversation.
Use dizer for words or a message
Ela disse que chega às oito.
She said she’ll arrive at eight.
O que você quer dizer com isso?
What do you mean by that?
Use contar for a story or details
Contar means to tell a story, describe events, or share information in detail. It can also mean to count numbers, so context determines the meaning.
Me conta o que aconteceu.
Tell me what happened.
Ele contou uma história engraçada.
He told a funny story.
Use falar for speaking a language or conversation
Falar means to speak or talk. Use falar português for speaking Portuguese, and falar com alguém for talking with someone. In informal Brazilian speech, falar can also introduce what a person said.
Minha irmã fala português e inglês.
My sister speaks Portuguese and English.
Preciso falar com você sobre a viagem.
I need to talk to you about the trip.
Put it into practice
Use dizer for a message, contar for a story, and falar for speaking a language or talking.
Quick practice
Which Portuguese example matches “Tell me what happened”?
Choose an answer to check yourself.
Keep practicing with the Real Life Portuguese app
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