Introduction
Knowing how to invite someone to expand on a thought is essential in conversation. This article explains natural ways to say Tell me more about that in Spanish, with practical examples, pronunciation tips, and cultural usage notes for beginner to intermediate learners.
Common Spanish equivalents
The idea of Tell me more about that can be expressed in several ways in Spanish depending on formality, tone, and context. Below are the most common phrases you will hear or use.
Direct and polite: Dime más sobre eso
Dime más sobre eso literally means Tell me more about that and works well in casual and semi-formal contexts. Use it with friends, colleagues, or people you address with tú.
Example:
Dime más sobre eso, suena interesante.
Tell me more about that, it sounds interesting.
Usage note: Use Dime when you are on familiar terms. For more formality, switch the command form as shown below.
Formal alternative: Dígame más sobre eso
Dígame más sobre eso is the polite command using usted. Use it when speaking to a stranger, an elder, or someone in a formal situation.
Example:
Dígame más sobre eso cuando tenga tiempo.
Tell me more about that when you have time.
Usage note: The stress on formality matters in professional or respectful conversations. The verb changes from dime to dígame.
Casual curiosity: Cuéntame más
Cuéntame más is very common and slightly more conversational. It comes from contar, to tell, and works great when you want details or a longer story.
Example:
Cuéntame más, ¿qué pasó después?
Tell me more, what happened next?
Usage note: Preferred among friends and in informal storytelling; it invites a narrative rather than just facts.
Ask for specifics: Explícame eso con más detalle
Explícame eso con más detalle asks for a more detailed explanation. Use this in academic, technical, or work contexts when clarity matters.
Example:
Explícame eso con más detalle, no entiendo la parte técnica.
Tell me more about that in detail; I do not understand the technical part.
Usage note: Sounds more formal and focused on precision than Cuéntame más.
Shorter natural responses
Sometimes a shorter prompt feels more natural in conversation. These alternatives are useful for quick encouragements or when you want someone to expand briefly.
¿Y qué más?
¿Y qué más? translates to And what else? and is a quick way to encourage more information during a story or explanation.
Example:
Entonces me dijo que no podía ayudar.
¿Y qué más?
Then he told me he could not help.
And what else?
¿Puedes decirme más?
¿Puedes decirme más? is a polite, neutral way to ask Can you tell me more? Use this when you want to be respectful but not overly formal.
Example:
¿Puedes decirme más sobre el proyecto?
Can you tell me more about the project?
¿Me lo cuentas?
¿Me lo cuentas? means Will you tell me about it? or Can you tell me that? It is friendly and often used to prompt someone to share a story or explanation.
Example:
Si tienes tiempo, ¿me lo cuentas con calma?
If you have time, can you tell me about it calmly?
Context and tone: which phrase to choose
Choosing the right phrase depends on tone, familiarity, and the type of information you expect: casual, formal, narrative, or technical. Below are guidelines for selecting the best option.
Casual conversation and storytelling
Use Cuéntame más, ¿Y qué más?, or Dime más sobre eso with friends, family, or peers when the conversation is relaxed and you want a story or opinion.
Example dialogue:
A: Fui a un concierto increíble anoche.
B: Cuéntame más, ¿qué banda tocó?
Professional and formal settings
Choose Dígame más sobre eso, Explíqueme eso con más detalle, or ¿Puede decirme más? when speaking with supervisors, clients, or in professional meetings.
Example:
Durante la reunión:
Me gustaría que nos diga más sobre el presupuesto.
Dígame más sobre eso para que podamos decidir.
Technical or academic requests
When you need precision, use Explícame eso con más detalle or Explíqueme los detalles. These expressions signal that you want specifics rather than a general narrative.
Example:
Explícame eso con más detalle, especialmente cómo funciona el algoritmo.
Politeness and verb forms
Spanish has different verb forms that change politeness and number. Understanding them helps you avoid social awkwardness.
Tú versus usted
Use tú forms with friends: Dime, Cuéntame, ¿Puedes?
Use usted forms for formality: Dígame, Cuénteme, ¿Puede decirme?
Example:
Informal: Dime más sobre tu viaje.
Formal: Dígame más sobre su viaje.
Plural forms
Addressing multiple people uses ustedes or vosotros depending on region. In most Latin American countries use ustedes: Díganme más, Cuéntenme más. In Spain in informal group settings use vosotros forms like contadme, decídmelo, though ustedes remains formal.
Natural variations and colloquial expressions
Native speakers often use idiomatic or softer expressions to invite more detail. These are useful to sound more natural and conversational.
Soft prompting: ¿Me cuentas un poco más?
¿Me cuentas un poco más? is gentle and inviting. It implies you are interested but not demanding.
Example:
Me interesa tu experiencia. ¿Me cuentas un poco más?
Expressing genuine interest: Quiero saber más
Quiero saber más literally means I want to know more and shows sincere curiosity. It can be used alone or followed by the topic.
Example:
Quiero saber más sobre la investigación que mencionaste.
Encouraging detail: Detállalo, por favor
Detállalo, por favor asks for detail in a direct but polite way. Use when you need a step-by-step account or specific pieces of information.
Example:
Detállalo, por favor; necesito entender cada paso.
Pronunciation tips and rhythm
Pay attention to stress and natural rhythm when speaking these phrases. Commands like Dime and Dígame place stress on the first syllable for dime and on dí for dígame. Cuéntame has stress on the first syllable due to the accent on u.
Tip: Speak slowly the first few times to maintain clear vowel sounds, then speed up as you gain confidence. Native speakers often run words together, so practicing with recordings will help you sound natural.
Short dialogues with variations
Seeing phrases in short dialogues helps you understand pragmatic use. Below are multiple scenarios with fits for different registers.
Scenario 1 — Friends discussing a trip:
A: Fui a Perú el mes pasado.
B: Cuéntame más, ¿qué lugares visitaste?
Scenario 2 — At work, formal:
A: Tenemos un problema con el informe.
B: Dígame más sobre eso para que lo solucionemos.
Scenario 3 — Technical clarification:
A: El sistema falla cuando la carga es alta.
B: Explícame eso con más detalle, ¿qué pasos lo provocan?
Common mistakes to avoid
Beginners sometimes mix formality or use awkward literal translations. Avoid literal English structures that sound unnatural, like decirme más sobre eso, which is understandable but less natural than the preferred options shown here.
Remember to match verb forms to the person you are addressing and to pick a phrase that fits the tone: narrative, formal, technical, or casual.
Practice tips for learners
To internalize these phrases: listen to native conversations, repeat short dialogues out loud, and record yourself. Try switching formal and informal forms in the same sentence to practice conjugation differences. Also, incorporate them into everyday small talk so they become automatic.
Tip: Create flashcards with the bolded first instance of each phrase to reinforce recognition and recall.
Conclusion
Asking someone to Tell me more about that in Spanish has multiple natural expressions for different levels of formality and detail. Use Dime más sobre eso or Cuéntame más casually, Dígame más sobre eso formally, and Explícame eso con más detalle for technical clarity. Practice these in real conversations to sound confident and natural.
