say or tell

Both verbs are about speaking, and both are irregular: say – said – said, tell – told – told. The difference is in what comes after them.

Tell + person

Tell is followed by the person who hears: tell me, tell Yuki, tell the teacher. Then comes the information.

Say + words

Say is followed by the words or the message. If you want to name the person, use to after the words.

Say is also the verb for quoting someone's exact words.

Fixed phrases with tell

Some phrases always take tell, even without a person:

• tell the truth, tell a lie
• tell a story, tell a joke
• tell the time
• tell the difference

Tell someone to do something

For an order or a request, use tell + person + to + verb.

Common mistakes

• × She said me the answer. → She told me the answer.
• × He told that he was busy. → He said that he was busy.
• × Can you say me where the station is? → Can you tell me where the station is?
• × She said a lie. → She told a lie.