Portuguese Phrase
Me diz quando aconteceu.
Meaning
Literally, 'Tell me when it happened.' The speaker is asking the listener to provide the specific time or moment an event took place.
When to use
Use this phrase when you need details about the timing of a past event—whether in casual conversation, a news interview, or while recounting a story.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Medizquandoaconteceu
Pronoun 'Me'
The clitic pronoun 'me' is placed before the verb in affirmative commands, meaning 'to me' or 'tell me'.
Imperative of 'dizer'
Use the affirmative imperative 'diz' (2nd person singular) to give a direct command: 'tell'.
Temporal clause with 'quando'
'Quando' introduces a subordinate clause indicating time, here asking for the moment something happened.
Preterite of 'acontecer'
'Aconteceu' is the third‑person singular preterite of 'acontecer', meaning 'it happened'.
🗨In Conversation
Me diz quando aconteceu a festa?
Tell me when the party happened.
Foi na sexta-feira, às oito da noite.
It was on Friday, at eight at night.
✕Common Mistakes
Me diz quando aconteceu?
Adding a question mark turns the command into a question; use a period for a direct request.
Me diz quando acontecerá.
Use the preterite 'aconteceu' for past events; 'acontecerá' is future.
Me diz quando aconteceu a festa.
The article 'a' is optional but often omitted for smoother speech.
↔Alternatives
Diz-me quando aconteceu.
Tell me when it happened.
Pode me dizer quando aconteceu?
Can you tell me when it happened?
Quando foi que aconteceu?
When did it happen?
Cultural Tip
In Brazilian Portuguese, using the informal 'tu' form (diz) is common in many regions, especially the South and the Northeast. In more formal contexts or in Portugal, you might hear 'Diga‑me quando aconteceu' (using the formal imperative). Also, placing the pronoun after the verb (diz‑me) is equally correct and often sounds slightly more natural in spoken Brazilian Portuguese.