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Dis-moi exactement où tu habites.

Dis-moi exactement où tu habites.
Tell me exactly where you live.
FromLesson 24inHardcore French

Breakdown of Dis-moi exactement où tu habites.

tu
you
où
where
me
me
dire
to tell
habiter
to live
exactement
exactly

Questions & Answers about Dis-moi exactement où tu habites.

Why is it Dis-moi and not Dis à moi?
French uses object pronouns with verbs like dire. In an affirmative command, the pronoun is attached after the verb with a hyphen: Dis-moi. The form à moi is reserved for strong emphasis or contrast (e.g., Dis-le à moi, pas à lui), not as the default.
Why is it moi and not me?
In the affirmative imperative, me and te change to moi and toi and are placed after the verb: Dis-moi, Parle-moi. In the negative imperative, they revert to me/te before the verb: Ne me dis pas.
Where do pronouns go in commands?
  • Affirmative: after the verb with hyphens, in this order: verb + (le/la/les) + (moi/toi/lui/nous/vous/leur) + (y) + (en). Examples: Dis-le-moi, Donne-m’en, Allez-y.
  • Negative: before the verb, standard clitic order. Examples: Ne me le dis pas, N’en parle pas.
How do I say it in the negative?
Ne me dis pas exactement où tu habites. Pronouns go before the verb and there are no hyphens in negative imperatives.
How do I make it polite or address several people?
Use vous and the plural imperative: Dites-moi exactement où vous habitez. This works for formal singular or plural.
Why is it dis and not dit or dites?
Dis is the 2nd-person singular imperative of dire. The imperative forms are dis (tu), disons (nous), dites (vous). Dit is either the 3rd-person present (il/elle dit) or the past participle; it isn’t used for commands.
Can I say Dis-moi où est-ce que tu habites?
No. In an indirect question (after a verb like dire), you cannot use est-ce que. Say Dis-moi où tu habites.
Why is it où tu habites and not où habites-tu?
Because it’s an indirect question. In indirect questions, French keeps normal statement order (subject + verb): où tu habites. In a direct question you’d use inversion or est-ce que: Où habites-tu ? / Où est-ce que tu habites ?
What’s the difference between où and ou? Is the accent required?
  • où (with accent) = where.
  • ou (no accent) = or.
    The accent is mandatory here. Dis-moi ou tu habites would be wrong/ambiguous.
Why is it habites and not habite?
The subject is tu, so a regular -er verb takes -es: tu habites. The final -s is silent; you pronounce [abit]. Je/il/elle habite would use habite.
Can I use vivre instead of habiter?
Yes: Dis-moi où tu vis. Habiter focuses on residing at an address; vivre is broader (to live, in general) but also works for residence. For a precise address, habiter is more typical.
Does habiter need a preposition?
With cities you can say either J’habite Paris or J’habite à Paris. With addresses, use standard patterns like J’habite au 12, rue Victor Hugo or J’habite dans la rue Victor Hugo. In your sentence, no preposition is needed.
Where can I put exactement?

All are natural:

  • Dis-moi exactement où tu habites.
  • Dis-moi où tu habites exactement.
  • Dis-moi précisément où tu habites. Putting exactement right before où slightly emphasizes the precision of the location; at the end is very common in speech.
Is exactement necessary? Any alternatives?
It’s optional. Common alternatives: précisément, clairement (for clarity), or you can omit it: Dis-moi où tu habites.
Why is there a hyphen in Dis-moi? Is Dis moi acceptable?
No. In affirmative imperatives, object pronouns must be attached with a hyphen: Dis-moi, Parlez-lui, Donnez-le-moi. Writing Dis moi is a spelling error.
Where do I put s’il te plaît / s’il vous plaît?

Either position works (use commas):

  • Dis-moi exactement où tu habites, s’il te plaît.
  • S’il vous plaît, dites-moi exactement où vous habitez.
Any pronunciation tips for this sentence?
  • Dis: [di].
  • moi: [mwa].
  • exactement: [ɛg.zak.tə.mɑ̃] (the t is heard).
  • où: [u].
  • tu: [ty].
  • habites: [abit]; final -s silent; the h is mute, so it flows: [ty a.bit].
How would I say “Tell me it” or “Tell me about it” using two pronouns?

Use the affirmative imperative order: verb + le/la/les + moi/toi/lui/nous/vous/leur + y + en.

  • Dis-le-moi. (Tell me it.)
  • Parlez-m’en. (Tell me about it.)
    Not Dis-moi-le. In the negative: Ne me le dis pas.
    Note: with en or y, moi/toi become m’/t’ for euphony: Donne-m’en, Vas-y.
Is Où tu habites ? okay as a direct question?
Informally, yes—people also say Tu habites où ? In careful or written French, prefer Où habites-tu ? or Où est-ce que tu habites ? In an indirect question like your sentence, you must use où tu habites.
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“How does grammatical gender work in French?”
Every French noun is either masculine or feminine, and this affects the articles and adjectives used with it. "Le" is used with masculine nouns and "la" with feminine ones. Adjectives also change form to match — for example, "petit" (masc.) becomes "petite" (fem.).

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