"Say" versus"tell"

Say is usually followed by the actual words said, or by a "that" clause, with the appropriate tense and pronoun changes. You usually omit mention of the person to whom the words are said, but if you do add this, it must be "say to XYZ".

Tell demands an indirect object ("tell me what happened"). The exceptions are in set expressions like "He told his story (or tale) well", or where "tell" means "count" ("She told her beads in prayer").

Tell (="relate") is followed by a noun or "that" or "how" clause; tell (="command") by an infinitive.

Examples of each:

"I said, "I'm going home".
"He said (that) he was going home."
"She said to all who would listen that she was going home."

"He told us a pack of lies"
"Tell us what happened!"
"He told us how his team had won."
"She told me that she had a science degree from Oxford".
"We told them to go home quietly."


Typically, speakers from Scandinavia and the Baltic states tend to use "tell" without saying who they are telling. Listen to your own speech - or watch for puzzled expressions on the faces of your English listeners!

* Back to "Common errors"

* Back to "Learning English" options