Both mean 'to say', but 'tell' always needs to know who receives the message.
Verb. To express words or information aloud. The recipient of the message is optional.
She said that she was tired.
Ella dijo que estaba cansada.
He said goodbye and left.
Él dijo adiós y se fue.
What did you say?
¿Qué dijiste?
Verb. To communicate information to a specific person. Always requires a direct recipient.
She told me that she was tired.
Ella me dijo que estaba cansada.
Tell me the truth.
Dime la verdad.
He told his students to study.
Él les dijo a sus estudiantes que estudiaran.
Common mistake
Forgetting the recipient after 'tell', or using 'said me' instead of 'told me'. Wrong: "She said me the answer." (correct: She told me the answer.)
Trick to remember it
After 'tell' there is ALWAYS a person: tell me, tell him, tell the class. After 'say' the person is optional and uses 'to': say something, say to me. Does a person come directly after? Use 'tell'.
Quick rule
Does a person come directly after the verb (tell me, tell him)? Use 'tell'. No person, or uses 'to'? Use 'say'.
Did you know?
'Tell' has special fixed uses: 'tell the time' (read a clock), 'tell the difference' (notice a distinction), 'tell a story' (narrate), 'tell a lie' (say something false). These collocations do not work with 'say'.
Exercise 1 · Pick the right one
He ____ me that the meeting was cancelled.
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
She ____ goodbye and walked out of the room.
Exercise 3 · Form the word
Does a person come directly after the verb (tell me, tell him)? Use 'tell'. No person, or uses 'to'? Use 'say'.
Forgetting the recipient after 'tell', or using 'said me' instead of 'told me'. Wrong: "She said me the answer." (correct: She told me the answer.)
After 'tell' there is ALWAYS a person: tell me, tell him, tell the class. After 'say' the person is optional and uses 'to': say something, say to me. Does a person come directly after? Use 'tell'.
Bryan López
Founder of SpeakUP Academy