Dire and parler are two similar verbs, but they are not used in the same way.
Dire
Dire = to express a message.
- Je dis la vérité. (I tell the truth.)
- Il dit son nom. (He says his name.)
- Elle dit que tout va bien. (She says that everything is fine.)
Parler
Parler = to communicate, exchange, or discuss.
- Je parle avec mon ami. (I am talking with my friend.)
- Nous parlons de ce film. (We are talking about this movie.)
- Elle parle français. (She speaks French.)
Compare
- Je dis mon prénom. → information précise (I say my first name → specific information.)
- Je parle avec mon professeur. → communication (I talk with my teacher → communication.)
- Il dit que c’est facile. → transmission d'une information (He says that it is easy → transmission of information.)
- Il parle de ce sujet. → thème général (He talks about this subject → general topic.)
Be careful
- Dire + something
- Dire que + sentence
- Parler à + person
- Parler de + topic