tell
verb
uk/tel/us/tel/told|toldtellverb(SPEAK)
A1[T]
to say something to someone, often giving theminformationorinstructions:
讲述，说；告诉Tell meaboutyourholidaythen.那么跟我说说你的假期吧。
[+ two objects]Can you tell me how to get to thelibrary?请问去图书馆怎么走？
[+ obj + (that)]Did you tell anyone(that)you were coming toseeme?你有没有跟任何人说起要来看我？
[+ obj + speech]"I'mleavingyou," she told him.“我要离开你，”她跟他说。
[+ obj + to infinitive]I told hertogohome.我叫她回家。
formalHe told usofhisextraordinarychildhood.他给我们讲述了他不寻常的童年。
I can't tell you howgratefulI am foryourhelp(= I amextremelygrateful).我对你的帮助感激不尽。
to tell someone something
- tellMy friend told me you were looking for me.
- let someone knowLet me know if you'd like to come.
- giveCan you give the message to Jo?
- communicateA 60-second TV commercial isn't always the best way to communicate a complex medical message.
- informThe relatives of the injured have been informed of the accident.
- notifyThe school has to notify parents if their children do not arrive at school.
tell a lie/lies
to say something/things that are nottrue:
说谎，撒谎She's always tellinglies.她老是说谎。
to say something not true in order to deceive
- lieAll she does is lie - you can't believe a word she says.
- tell a lieI cannot tell a lie: I chopped down the cherry tree.
- lie through your teethHe lied through his teeth that he didn't go to the cinema, though he was still holding the ticket stub in his hand as he said it.
- fibI don't like fibbing, but I didn't want to hurt his feelings by saying his gift was awful.
- misleadI'm afraid you've been misled. She is, in fact, married.
- deludeHe's deluding himself if he thinks that he's getting that promotion.
tell it like it isinformal
to tell thefactswithouthidinganything
如实说，实话实说tell talesdisapproving
If someone, usually achild, tellstales, they tell someone such as ateacherabout somethingbadthat someoneelsehas done:
（通常指小孩）告状，揭短Yourclassmateswon'ttrustyou if you're always tellingtales, Alvin.阿尔文，如果你老是打小报告，你的同学会不信任你的。
See also
telltale
tell the truth
tospeakhonestly:
说真话，讲实话How do youknowshe's telling thetruth?你怎么知道她讲的是实话？
to tell (you) the truth
to behonest:
说句老实话，说实话To tell (you) thetruth, I didn'tunderstanda word of what he was saying.说实话，他说的我一点儿也听不懂。
- They wouldn't tell me how they had got myaddress.
- Ifeltit was mydutyto tell them thetruth.
- Gather (a)round,children, and I'll tell you astory.
- Thedoctortold me toavoidfattyfoods.
- No-one told me she wasill.
Announcing, informing & stating
- acquaintsomeone/yourselfwithsomething
- affirm
- annunciation
- avowedly
- awaken
- awakensomeonetosomething
- break
- break it/the news tosomeoneidiom
- breathe/say a wordidiom
- disseminate
- known
- on the recordidiom
- pass
- proclamation
- putsomethingout ofitsmiseryidiom
- rapporteur
- resensitize
- rollout
- self-anointed
- statement
You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
Lies, lying & hypocrisy
Blunt and direct in speech & behaviour
Revealing secrets & becoming known
Honesty, openness & sincerity
tellverb(KNOW)
B2[IorT]
toknow,recognize, or becertain:
知道；辨别；确定"He'sDutch." "How can you tell?"“他是荷兰人。”“你怎么知道？”
[+ (that)]I could tell(that)you wereunhappy.我看得出你当时很不高兴。
B2[T]
If something tells you something, it gives youinformation:
（事物）显露，显示What does thesurveytell usaboutthelivesofteenagers?这次调查给我们提供了有关青少年生活的什么信息？
tell the difference
C1
tonoticeadifferenceinqualitybetween two things:
区分，区别Thiscoffeeis abouthalfthepriceof that one andyetyou really can't tell thedifference.这种咖啡的价格差不多是那种的一半，而你根本分辨不出它们有什么不同。
tellsomeone'sfortune(alsotell fortunes)
to say what willhappenin someone'sfuture:
给（某人）算命At thefair, there was aladywho toldyourfortune.集市上有一个算命的女人。
tell the timeUK(UStell time)
to beabletounderstandaclock:
会看钟表Mydaughterhas justlearnedto tell thetime.我女儿刚刚学会看时间。
there is no telling
there is no way ofknowing:
不知道，无法知道There is no tellingwhat thefuturewillholdfor them.不知道他们的未来会怎么样。
you never can tellB2(alsoyou can never tell)
said tomeanthat you can neverknowor becertain:
很难说，没法预料Whoknowswhat willhappento Peter and me in thefuture- you can never tell.谁知道彼得和我将来会怎么样呢——谁也无法预料。
- I could tell from herexpressionthat somethingserioushadhappened.
- You can tell it'sautumnbecause theleaveshavestartedtofall.
- Who can tell what thefutureholds?
- Can you tell the thedifferencebetweenpoisonousmushroomsandediblevarieties?
- I could tell he was reallyupset, though hetriednot to show it.
Learning & knowing
- absorptive capacity
- acquire
- acquisition
- assimilate
- autodidact
- extension
- familiar
- journey
- non-academic
- non-library
- onboard
- onboarding
- outlearn
- shadow
- sit
- uncultivated
- uncultured
- unlearnable
- unteachable
- upskill
You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
Announcing, informing & stating
Identifying
Predicting things and intuition
Watches & clocks
Uncertainty
tellverb(HAVE AN EFFECT)
[I]
to have aneffect:
产生效果，产生影响She's been under a lot ofstressrecentlyand it'sstartingto tell.她最近压力很大，而且这已经开始让她吃不消了。
Causing things to happen
- -induced
- activate
- activation
- actuation
- agent
- attribute
- attributesomethingtosomeone
- implementation
- in
- inaugurate
- inauguration
- pioneer
- reactivate
- realization
- realize
- reattribute
- reawaken
- render
- spark
- spell
Grammar
Sayortell?
Say and tell are irregular verbs. The past simple of say is said, the past simple of tell is told:…Sayandtellwith objects
Both say and tell take a direct object. The object is most commonly the reported clause (the report of what someone said).…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:…Idioms
I'm telling you
(I) toldyou(so)!
(I'll) tell you what
tell me about it!
tell me another one!
you're telling me!
Phrasal verbs
tell againstsomeone/something
tellsomething/someoneapart
tellsomeoneoff
tell onsomeone
tell
noun[C]
uk/tel/us/tel/(in thegameofpoker) something that aplayerdoes withoutthinkingabout it that may give the otherplayersinformationabout what he or sheintendsto do, etc. :
If you are good atreadingpokertells, you canusefullystorethem inyourmemoryforfutureuse.
something that someone does withoutthinkingthatshowswhat they are reallythinking,especiallyif they aretryingtodeceiveyou:
Myboss, like so manycompanyleaders, has a tell when he is about toannouncebadnews— hesmilesweakly.
- I don'tthinkhe was a good enoughplayertopickup on thefactthat I hadnoticedhis tell.
- She waseventuallyalertedto her tell and then she had totrytostopherself doing it.
- Hesoonrealizedthat his tell had beenspotted.
- Her tell was that shelookedaway when she was about to say somethingdisappointing.
Card games
- all in
- bidding
- blackjack
- bridge
- busted flush
- canasta
- card sharp
- deal
- diamond
- flush
- jack
- pool
- queen
- re-raise
- rebid
- recut
- rookie card
- solitaire
- spade
- straight
You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
Lies, lying & hypocrisy