What exactly is 'dile'?

Question

I couldn't find the entry in https://dle.rae.es/dile?m=form.

The translators translate it to "tell him". So, it looks like a contraction of a verb and a pronoun. However, I couldn't find anything explaining this so that I could confirm my understanding.

Could someone tell me if it's a single word or a contraction of a verb and a pronoun and explain how this contraction works?

Answer 1

Yes, "dile" is the result of merging imperative "di" (tell) and the pronoun "le" (him/her).

Because of its position attached to the verb, "le" is called an "enclitic pronoun" (pronombre enclítico).

With affirmative imperative, the pronoun -- if any -- has to be added to the verb and will always be enclitic. In the negative, the subjunctive will be used and the pronoun will be used before the verb:

• Dile (tell him) / No le digas (don't tell him)

Answer 2

To complement Gustavson's answer and trying to answer to "how this contraction works", this example illustrates different pronouns and numbers.

I'm using a different verb (dar = to give) that makes sense in all cases:

• yo -> me: dame = give me
• tú -> te: date = give yourself
• él/ella -> le: dale = give him/her
• nosotros -> nos: danos = give us
• vosotros -> os: daos = give yourselves/each other
• ellos/ellas -> les = dales = give them

If you see any of those endings in an unknown word, try removing it before looking it up in the dictionary.