lui dire

tell him

→ lui
phrase Very common #887
tell him Used when speaking to or about one person. The pronoun lui means to him or to her; with dire, English often uses tell rather than say.
FR: Je vais lui dire la vérité.
EN: I'm going to tell him the truth.

Vous devez au moins lui dire vous-même.

You should at least tell him yourself.

— Benni (2019)

J'aurais pas à lui dire.

I wouldn’t have to tell him/her.

— La Vie d'Adèle - Chapitres 1 et 2 (2013)

Je n'avais pas le cœur de lui dire la vérité.

I couldn't bring myself to tell him the truth.

Qu'as-tu à lui dire?

What do you have to say to him?

— Amours chiennes (2000)

Donc vous devrez probablement lui dire qui vous êtes.

So you will probably have to tell him who you are.

— Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood (2019)

Au cas où il vienne, que devrais-je lui dire?

If he comes, what should I tell him?

Oui c'est ça, tu peux tout lui dire.

Yes, that's right, you can tell him/her everything.

— PIKU (2015)

Je peux lui dire?

Can I tell him?

Faut bien lui dire.

You really have to tell him/her.

— Viens chez moi, j'habite chez une copine (1981)

Allez lui dire bonjour.

Go say hello to him.

— La Nuit américaine (1973)

Je peux pas lui dire ça.

I can't tell him that.

Je n'avais rien à lui dire.

I had nothing to say to him.

Je viens de lui dire.

I just told him.

Pourrais-tu lui dire d'arrêter?

Could you tell him/her to stop?

— Don Juan DeMarco (1994)

Son père m'a dit de pas lui dire.

Her father told me not to tell her.

— Sympathy for Mister Vengeance (2002)

Tu n'aurais pas dû lui dire une telle chose.

You shouldn't have said such a thing to him.

Promets-moi de ne pas lui dire!

Promise me you won't tell them!

Il n'écoute jamais ce que j'essaye de lui dire.

He never listens to what I try to tell him.

Tu aurais dû lui dire.

You should have told him.

Tu devrais lui dire.

You should tell him.

Je voulais aider Tom à comprendre ce que Marie essayait de lui dire.

I wanted to help Tom understand what Mary was trying to tell him.

Je dois lui dire quelque chose.

I have to tell him something.

J'ai envie de lui dire quelque chose, mais quand elle arrive, je sèche.

I want to say something to her, but when she arrives, my mind goes blank.

— Dans ses yeux (2009)

Va lui dire.

Go tell him.

— Les Affranchis (1990)

Malheureusement, je ne peux pas lui dire.

Unfortunately, I can't tell him/her.

Lui dire quoi?

What should I tell him?

— Aucun autre choix (2025)

Quand vas-tu lui dire?

When are you going to tell him?

Qu'est-ce que je devrais lui dire?

What should I tell him?

J'ai deux mots à lui dire.

I have two words to say to him.

Je suis allé lui dire bonjour dans sa loge.

I went to say hello to him in his dressing room.

— La Nuit américaine (1973)

Elle lui a écrit pour lui dire qu'elle l'aimait.

She wrote to him to tell him she loved him.

Devrais-je lui dire?

Should I tell him?

En y repensant, j'ai pensé que c'était à vous de lui dire.

Thinking it over, I thought it was up to you to tell him.

— Adieu ma concubine (1993)

Il m'a fait jurer de ne pas lui dire.

He made me swear not to tell him.

Vous allez lui dire?

Are you going to tell him?

Que puis-je lui dire?

What can I tell him?

— La petite Véra (1988)

Il voulait trouver une façon créative de lui dire qu'il l'aimait.

He wanted to find a creative way to tell her he loved her.

Il y a tant de choses que je voulais lui dire.

There are so many things I wanted to tell him.

— Picnic (1955)

Tu veux lui dire?

Do you want to tell him?

Je veux lui dire, que je suis désolé.

I want to tell him/her that I’m sorry.

— Sacrifices of War (2011)

Va lui dire qu'il faut qu'il remette le couvert chaque jour.

Go tell him he needs to do it again every day.

— Une grande fille (2019)

Il ne faut plus jamais lui dire des choses aussi méchantes!

You must never say such mean things to him again!

— The Host (2006)

J'ai dû lui dire.

I had to tell him.

Tu peux lui dire maintenant quoi faire.

You can tell him what to do now.

— Avatar (2009)

C'est à moi de lui dire.

It's up to me to tell him.

J'ai été obligée de lui dire.

I had to tell him.

— La Nuit américaine (1973)

Tu as été lui dire!

You went and told him!

— Le Garde du corps (1961)

Mais il faut lui dire avant.

But you have to tell him first.

Je ne manquerai pas de lui dire.

I will be sure to tell him.

Pas la peine de lui dire bonjour.

There's no point in saying hello to him.

— Departures (2008)

Il faut lui dire ce qu'on sait!

We have to tell him what we know!

— Harry Potter et la Chambre des secrets (2002)

Je ne pouvais pas arriver à lui dire quelque chose.

I couldn't bring myself to say anything to him.

— Le Facteur (1994)

J'aimerais lui dire qu'on ne résout rien au téléphone.

I'd like to tell him/her that we don't resolve anything over the phone.

— Les Anges déchus (1995)

Tu dois lui dire.

You have to tell him.

Je ne sais toujours pas quoi en penser ou ce que je peux lui dire.

I still don't know what to think about it or what I can say to him.

— Les Enfants du temps (2019)

J'ai pas eu le courage de lui dire la vérité.

I didn't have the courage to tell him the truth.

— Une bataille après l'autre (2025)

S'il venait, que devrais-je lui dire?

If he came, what should I say to him?

Je peux tout lui dire.

I can tell him anything.

Va lui dire bonsoir, et je te retrouve ?

Go say good evening to him, and where should I meet you?

Elle a pu lui dire et me le cacher pour le maintenir à l'écart.

She could have told him and hidden it from me to keep him away.

— L'Accusé (2017)

On doit lui dire.

We have to tell him.

Qu'est-ce qu'on va lui dire?

What are we going to tell him?

J'ai essayé de lui dire.

I tried to tell him.

Je ne sais pas comment lui dire.

I don't know how to tell him.

— Zootopie 2 (2025)

Tu ne peux pas lui dire ça directement.

You can't tell him that directly.

Tu vas lui dire quoi, Ariane?

What are you going to tell him, Ariane?

— Good Bye Lenin! (2003)

C'est cruel de sa part que de lui dire de telles choses.

It’s cruel of him to say such things to her.

Je sais ce qu'il faut lui dire.

I know what to say to him.

— Les Affranchis (1990)

Pourrais-tu lui dire quelque chose de favorable à mon sujet?

Could you tell him something positive about me?

Vous pouvez lui dire de me rappeler?

Can you tell him to call me back?

— Oh Boy (2012)

Nous devrions lui dire.

We should tell him.

J'ai un truc à lui dire.

I have something to tell him.

Mais que vais-je lui dire?

But what am I going to tell him?

Ne peux-tu lui dire que je suis malade?

Can't you tell him I'm sick?

— Princess Bride (1987)

J'aurais dû lui dire.

I should have told him.

Ce serait gentil de lui dire.

It would be nice to tell him.

Est-ce que vous allez lui dire?

Are you going to tell him?

Quelqu'un doit lui dire.

Someone has to tell him.

Je vais tout lui dire.

I'll tell him everything.

Nous avons convenu de lui dire quand il sera assez grand pour se raser.

We agreed to tell him when he's old enough to shave.

— Aucun autre choix (2025)

Pouvez-vous lui dire qu'on est là?

Can you tell him/her that we're here?

— Oh Boy (2012)

Je n'ai rien à lui dire!

I have nothing to say to him!

— Vivre (1952)

Voulez-vous lui dire que j'aimerais lui parler?

Do you want to tell him that I would like to speak to him?

Est-ce ce que je dois lui dire?

Is that what I should tell him?

— Les Enfants du temps (2019)

Je n'ose pas lui dire une telle chose.

I don't dare tell him/her such a thing.

Que vas-tu lui dire?

What are you going to tell him?

Je dois lui dire.

I have to tell him.

Si John téléphone, veuillez lui dire que je serai de retour à sept heures.

If John calls, please tell him that I’ll be back at seven o’clock.

Père, peux-tu lui dire d'arrêter?

Dad, can you tell him to stop?

— La Légende de Baahubali : 1ère Partie (2015)

Tu ne devrais pas lui dire de telles choses.

You shouldn't say such things to him.

— Princesse Mononoké (1997)

J'ai oublié de lui dire quelque chose.

I forgot to tell him/her something.

Il y a quelque chose d'important qu'il me faut lui dire.

There’s something important I need to tell him/her.

Est-ce que je peux lui dire?

Can I tell him?

N'oublie pas de lui dire.

Don’t forget to tell him/her.

Qu'est-ce que je peux bien lui dire?

What can I possibly say to him?

Je vais être honnête et tout lui dire.

I'm going to be honest and tell him everything.

Elle lui a écrit pour lui dire à quel point il était formidable.

She wrote to him to tell him how great he was.

C'est exactement ce que j'allais lui dire.

That's exactly what I was going to say to him.

— De tout cœur (1998)

Elle lui écrivit pour lui dire combien il était merveilleux.

She wrote to him to tell him how wonderful he was.

Je n'ai pas eu le cœur de lui dire la vérité.

I couldn't bring myself to tell him the truth.

Laisse-moi lui dire bonjour.

Let me say hello to him.

— Gangs of Wasseypur : 1ère partie (2012)

Vous devez lui dire pour moi, Mme Bafané.

You must tell him for me, Mrs. Bafané.

— Benni (2019)

Elle ne savait pas quoi lui dire.

She didn't know what to say to him.

Va lui dire qu'il ne peut pas le virer comme ça.

Go tell him he can't fire him like that.

— Toni Erdmann (2016)

Ce que vous avez à lui dire, dites-le-moi.

Tell me what you have to say to him.

— Séquences et conséquences (2000)

Tu peux lui dire, ça m'est égal.

You can tell him/her, I don't care.

C'est ce que je viens de lui dire.

That's what I just told him.

Quelqu'un devrait lui parler et lui dire ce qu'il en est.

Someone should talk to him and tell him what’s going on.

Qui va lui dire?

Who's going to tell him?

— Bajrangi Bhaijaan (2015)

Il est peut-être temps de lui dire.

Maybe it's time to tell him.

J'ai décidé de lui dire que je l'aimais.

I decided to tell him that I loved him.

Que peut-elle lui dire?

What can she tell him?

Qu'est-ce que tu vas lui dire?

What are you going to tell him?

Que vais-je bien pouvoir lui dire?

What on earth am I going to say to him?

Il faut lui dire.

You have to tell him.

— Cours, Lola, cours (1998)

Je n'ai pas su lui dire combien je l'aimais.

I wasn't able to tell him how much I loved him.

Comment lui dire non?

How do I say no to him/her?

— Article 15 (2019)

J'aimerais lui montrer d'abord et lui dire moi-même la vérité.

I’d like to show him/her first and tell him/her the truth myself.

— Portrait de la jeune fille en feu (2019)

Lui avez-vous appelé pour lui dire quand le livreur arriverait?

Did you call him to tell him when the delivery man would arrive?

— Crime 101 (2026)

Pourquoi ne pas lui dire?

Why not tell him/her?

— मुन्ना भाई एम बी बी एस (2003)

J'arrête pas de lui dire.

I keep telling him.

Je pouvais pas lui dire j'allais!

I couldn't tell him where I was going!

— Les Diaboliques (1955)

Qu'est-ce que tu voulais lui dire?

What did you want to tell him?

— Femmes au bord de la crise de nerfs (1988)

Va lui dire ce que tu ressens.

Go tell him how you feel.

Qu'est-ce que je dois lui dire?

What should I tell him?

Mais il ignorait comment l'aborder, que pouvait-il lui dire?

But he didn’t know how to approach her—what could he say to her?

— Mirage (2018)

Nous devons lui dire.

We must tell him.

Que dois-je lui dire?

What should I tell him?

— Épouses et Concubines (1991)

Tu peux lui dire ce que tu veux.

You can tell him whatever you want.

Je vais voir Julie et je sais pas quoi lui dire.

I'm going to see Julie and I don't know what to say to her.

— La Nuit américaine (1973)

Tu n'as rien à lui dire?

You have nothing to say to him?

Tu vas lui dire quoi?

What are you going to tell him?

C'est toi qui vas lui dire!

You're the one who's going to tell them!

— Faute d'amour (2017)

Vous pouvez lui dire que vous avez trouvé cette entreprise tout seul.

You can tell him that you found this company all by yourself.

— Parasite (2019)

Je n'ai pas dit à Tom tout ce que Mary m'a demandé de lui dire.

I didn't tell Tom everything Mary asked me to tell him.

Que devrais-je lui dire?

What should I tell him?

J'avais tant de choses à lui dire.

I had so much to tell him.

Ton père arrive demain, que vais-je lui dire?

Your father is arriving tomorrow, what am I going to tell him?

— Guerre et Paix (1968)

Tu dois lui dire ce que tu ressens.

You have to tell him how you feel.

Qu'as-tu à lui dire, à Julieta?

What do you have to say to Julieta?

— Amours chiennes (2000)

Je n'ai pas encore trouvé le courage de lui dire.

I still haven't found the courage to tell him/her.

Pouvez-vous lui dire que j'ai appelé?

Can you tell him that I called?

Qu'est-ce que je peux lui dire?

What can I tell him?

Que vais-je lui dire?

What am I going to tell him?

Je ne peux pas lui dire ça.

I can't tell him that.

Non, il faut lui dire avant.

No, you have to tell him first.

Tu devrais lui parler et lui dire ce que tu ressens.

You should talk to him and tell him how you feel.

Si ça te va, je préfère ne rien lui dire.

If that's okay with you, I'd rather not say anything to him.

— Tout sur ma mère (1999)

Elle n'a pas eu le courage de lui dire la vérité.

She didn't have the courage to tell him the truth.

Je dois lui dire?

Should I tell him/her?

— Des étoiles sur la terre (2007)

Qu'est-ce que je pouvais lui dire?

What could I say to him?

Veuillez lui dire que c'est urgent.

Please tell them that it's urgent.

Lui dire?

Tell him?

Vas-tu lui dire, Kadzina?

Are you going to tell him, Kadzina?

— Nuremberg (2025)

Eh bien, j'aurai un mot à lui dire.

Well, I'll have a word with him.

Tu n'as qu'à lui dire.

You just have to tell him.

Tu devrais vraiment lui dire.

You should really tell him.

Qu'est-ce que je suis censé lui dire?

What am I supposed to tell him?

Que voulez-vous lui dire?

What do you want to tell him/her?

— Scream 7 (2026)

Elle m'a fait jurer de ne pas lui dire.

She made me swear not to tell her.

C'est à toi de lui dire.

It's up to you to tell him.

Je n'avais pas besoin de lui dire.

I didn't need to tell him.

Quand doit-on lui dire?

When should we tell him?

— Le Tao de Steve (2000)

C'est-à-dire je préférais ne pas lui dire.

I mean, I’d rather not tell him.

— Les Choristes (2004)

Laisse-moi lui dire!

Let me tell him!

Vous devez lui dire.

You have to tell him.

Je dois lui dire que je veux arrêter.

I need to tell him that I want to stop.

— Les Anges déchus (1995)

J'ai envie de lui dire ce que je pense de lui.

I feel like telling him what I think of him.

Va lui dire que sa copine est nulle.

Go tell him that his girlfriend sucks.

— Crazy Rich Asians (2018)

Qu'allez-vous lui dire?

What are you going to tell him?

Tu peux lui dire.

You can tell him.

Quelqu'un devrait lui parler et lui dire de quoi il retourne.

Someone should talk to him and tell him what’s going on.

Quelqu'un peut-il lui dire?

Can someone tell him?

— The Legend of Bhagat Singh (2002)

Lui dire quelque chose?

Should I tell him something?

— Les Nouveaux Sauvages (2014)

Qu'est-ce que tu veux lui dire?

What do you want to tell him?

Qu'est-ce que tu viens de lui dire?

What did you just say to him/her?

J'ai quelque chose à lui dire.

I have something to tell him.

Pourquoi ne pas simplement lui dire non?

Why not just tell him no?

Tu sais ce que tu vas lui dire?

Do you know what you're going to tell him?

Alors, voilà ce que vous allez lui dire.

So, here's what you're going to tell him.

— La Famille Tenenbaum (2001)

Tu veux lui dire bonjour?

Do you want to say hello to him?

Tu voulais lui dire ce que tu ressentais, non?

You wanted to tell him how you felt, right?

Est-ce que tu vas lui dire?

Are you going to tell him?

Va lui dire de se préparer.

Go tell him to get ready.

Je n'ai pas envie de lui dire ça.

I don't feel like telling him that.

Tu peux lui dire de la fermer?

Can you tell her to shut up?

— Marty Supreme (2025)

Que lui dire?

What should I tell him?

Tu vas lui dire?

Are you going to tell him?

— Do the Right Thing (1989)

N'oubliez pas de lui dire.

Don't forget to tell him/her.

Que quelqu'un court lui dire que tout le monde peut la sentir.

Someone run and tell her that everyone can smell it.

— Wicked (2024)