Although the meaning of decir probably wouldn't be instantly recognizable to most English speakers, there are number of words derived from the prefixed forms of decir that are. For example, by using the prefix contra-, you can form the word contradecir, which means "to contradict." A noun form of that word, contradicción, is clearly a cognate of the English word "contradiction."
Decir is conjugated irregularly, so verbs derived from decir will be conjugated in the same way. So just as the past participle of decir is dicho, the past participle of contradecir is contradicho. Exceptions: Bendecir and maldecir are conjugated regularly in the future and conditional tenses, and the past participlaes of those verbs also are regular.
Here are some of the most common verbs derived from decir along with examples of their usage:
- bendecir (to bless, to say grace at a meal): Que Dios los bendiga hoy y siempre. (May God bless them today and forever.)
- condecir (This verb has some rare substandard usage as a substitute for conducir, "to conduct.")
- contradecir (to contradict): La madre se contradijo en numerosas ocasiones durante el testimonio. (The mother contradicted herself on numerous occasions during her testimony.)
- desdecir (to deny): Yo no me desdigo de nada. (I don't deny anything.)
- interdecir (This verb is very seldom used, although a related noun form, interdicción, means "interdiction.")
- maldecir (to curse): Eliseo maldijo a los niños que se burlaban de él. (Elisha cursed the children who were mocking him.)
- predecir (to predict): Dos semanas antes de saber que estaba embarazada, Britney predijo su maternidad en una canción. (Two weeks before knowing she was pregnant, Britney predicted her motherhood in a song.)
