What does tell mean in English?

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tell Meaning, Definition, Pronunciation, Grammar & Synonyms❤️

tell Meaning & Definition

En [ tel]
Us [ tel]

Meaning of tell In English

0 to say something to someone, often giving them information or instructions:
- Tell me about your holiday then.
- [ + two objects ] Can you tell me how to get to the library?
- [ + obj + (that) ] Did you tell anyone (that) you were coming to see me?
- [ + obj + speech ] "I'm leaving you," she told him.
- [ + obj + to infinitive ] I told her to go home.
- formal He told us of his extraordinary childhood.
- I can't tell you how grateful I am for your help (= I am extremely grateful).
- She's always telling lies.
- Your classmates won't trust you if you're always telling tales, Alvin.
- How do you know she's telling the truth?
- To tell (you) the truth, I didn't understand a word of what he was saying.
1 to know, recognize, or be certain:
- "He's Dutch." "How can you tell?"
- [ + (that) ] I could tell (that) you were unhappy.
- What does the survey tell us about the lives of teenagers?
- This coffee is about half the price of that one and yet you really can't tell the difference.
- At the fair, there was a lady who told your fortune.
- My daughter has just learned to tell the time.
- There is no telling what the future will hold for them.
- Who knows what will happen to Peter and me in the future - you can never tell.
2 to have an effect:
- She's been under a lot of stress recently and it's starting to tell.
3 to say something to someone, esp. to give instructions or information; report:
- [ T ] Can you tell me how to get to the bus station?
- [ I ] She told about her travels overseas.
4 to show or give information in ways other than talking:
- This light tells you when the battery is low.
5 to order someone to do something:
- I told you to be home by eleven.
6 to know or recognize:
- [ I ] It’s hard to tell which is better.
- [ T ] It’s easy to tell a robin by its red breast.
- [ + (that) clause ] I could tell that you were unhappy.
- [ T ] This one is supposed to be better, but how can you tell the difference?

More Definitions of tell

Examples of tell

They wouldn't tell me how they had got my address.
I felt it was my duty to tell them the truth.
Gather (a)round, children, and I'll tell you a story.
The doctor told me to avoid fatty foods.
No-one told me she was ill.
I could tell from her expression that something serious had happened.
You can tell it's autumn because the leaves have started to fall.
Who can tell what the future holds?

More Examples of tell

Trends of tell

Grammar of tell

0 Say or tell?

Say and tell are irregular verbs. The past simple of say is said, the past simple of tell is told:
1 Say and tell with objects

Both say and tell take a direct object. The object is most commonly the reported clause (the report of what someone said).
2 Tell + indirect object + to-infinitive

We use tell with an indirect object and a to-infinitive to report a command or an instruction. We don’t normally use say in this way: