Paul dit la vérité.

Paul tells the truth.

Breakdown of Paul dit la vérité.

• Paul: Paul
• la vérité: the truth
• dire: to tell

Questions & Answers about Paul dit la vérité.

What does dit mean here, and what tense/person is it?

dit is the third-person singular present of dire (“to say / to tell”). So Paul dit la vérité = “Paul tells the truth.” Present of dire:

• je dis
• tu dis
• il/elle/on dit
• nous disons
• vous dites
• ils/elles disent

Why is it la vérité and not le vérité?

Because vérité is a feminine noun. Most abstract nouns ending in -té are feminine (e.g., la liberté, la beauté, la santé), so it takes la: la vérité (“the truth”).

Can Paul dit la vérité also mean “Paul is telling the truth (right now)”?

Yes. French simple present often covers both English simple present and present progressive. Context tells you whether it’s habitual (“he tells the truth”) or right now (“he is telling the truth”).

Why does French use dire while English says “tell the truth,” not “say the truth”?