Study materials
Ukrainian translates both say and tell with one verb. In English they behave differently.
She said hello.
She told me a joke.
This article explains where the listener goes after say and tell, the fixed phrases with tell and say, tell someone to do something, and the forms said and told.
Say or tell
Both verbs mean pass on words, but they behave differently. Tell needs the listener right after it. Say is used without a listener, or the listener comes after to.
She said she was busy.
No listener.
She told me she was busy.
The listener comes right after told.
She said to me that she was busy.
With say the listener comes after to.
So you do not say said me, or told that without a listener. In a question did is followed by the base form: Did Oleh tell you about the party?
In conversation people often say as I said or like I told you, meaning as I mentioned before. The rule is the same: as I said to you, like I told you.
Fixed phrases
Some words always go with tell, and some with say. Tell takes stories, jokes, the truth, lies and the time. Say takes words you actually utter, such as hello, goodbye, sorry, thank you, yes and no.
| Tell | Say |
|---|---|
| tell a story | say hello |
| tell a joke | say goodbye |
| tell the truth | say sorry |
| tell a lie | say thank you |
| tell the time, read a clock | say yes, say no |
Grandpa tells us funny stories.
Don't forget to say thank you to Grandma.
Can you tell me the way to the station?
Tell someone to do something
To report a request or an order, use tell, the listener, and to with the action. Not to reports a request not to do something. Say is not used here.
Mum told me to clean my room.
The doctor told me not to eat so much sugar.
The forms said and told
Both verbs are irregular, which means they do not make the past with -ed. Say has the forms say, said, said, and tell has tell, told, told. Said is pronounced like sed. Did is followed by the base form: What did he say? Did she tell you?
Common mistakes
The first mistake is a listener straight after say.
She said me the news. → She told me the news.
The listener comes straight after tell.
The second mistake is told without a listener.
He told that he was busy. → He said that he was busy.
With no listener use say.
The third mistake is say in a request.
She said me to wait outside. → She told me to wait outside.
A request is reported with tell.
The first and third mistakes show right after said. If a listener without to stands there, told is needed: told me, told me to wait. The second shows after told. If there is no listener, said is needed.