"No me digas" y otras frases comunes en Imperativo

Common words and phrases we use in the imperative.

Un intercambio común entre dos desconocidos:

-Hola, ¿Te puedo hacer una pregunta?

-Decime…

Una palabra en Imperativo que usamos un montón: “decime”. (“Decí” (vos) - “a mí” (me) ). Cuando pares a alguien en la calle para hacerle una pregunta, probablemente esta persona te responda “decime” (vos) o “dígame” (Usted).

Como ésta, otras palabras y frases en Imperativo también son muy usadas en español, especialmente hablando del español que hablamos en la zona del Río de la Plata, la variante “rioplantense”

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A common exchange between two strangers:

—Hi, can I ask you a question?
—Tell me…

An imperative word we use a lot: “decime.” (“Decí” [you, informal] + “me” [to me]). When you stop someone on the street to ask a question, that person will probably reply “decime” (informal) or “dígame” (formal).

Like this one, other imperative words and phrases are also frequently used in Spanish, especially in the variety spoken in the Río de la Plata region—the “Rioplatense” variant.

“No me digas”

In Argentina, the phrase "no me digas" literally means "don't tell me", but it's most often used idiomatically rather than literally.

In everyday Argentine Spanish, "no me digas" is commonly used to express surprise, disbelief, or mild sarcasm, depending on the context and tone.

• Surprise or amazement (genuine):

  • "¿Sabías que Juan se casó?"

  • "¡No me digas!"
    → "Really?" / "No way!"

• Mild disbelief or skepticism:

  • "Voy a empezar el gimnasio el lunes."

  • "No me digas..."
    → "You don’t say..." / "Yeah, right..." (with a hint of sarcasm)

• Sarcastic reaction to something obvious:

  • "Está lloviendo."

"¡No me digas!"
→ "You don’t say!" / "Well, duh!"

Other Common Words and Phrases we use in the Imperative

1. Mirá vos: "mirá vos" is another very common expression, and like "no me digas," its meaning depends heavily on tone and context.

Literal translation:

"Mirá vos" = "Look at you" or "Would you look at that"

But idiomatically, it's used in a few different ways:

A. Mild surprise or interest (neutral or positive):

"Terminé el curso de cocina."

"¡Mirá vos!"
("Oh, really!" / "Well, look at that!" / "Huh, interesting!)

B. Polite indifference or just keeping the conversation going:

"Mi primo vive en Canadá hace diez años."

"Mirá vos."
("Oh, I see." / "Is that so?")

C. Sarcastic or ironic tone:

"Dice que ahora se levanta a las 6 para correr."

"Mirá vos..."
("Wow, imagine that..." with irony or disbelief)

So again, tone is key. It's a flexible phrase that can show genuine interest or polite distance—or be laced with sarcasm.