tell

verb

提供信息 give information

1. 告诉；告知
   to give information to sb by speaking or writing
   1. He told the news to everybody he saw.
      他逢人便讲这个消息。
   2. He told everybody he saw the news.
      他逢人便讲这个消息。
   3. Why wasn't I told about the accident?
      为什么没人把这次事故告诉我？
   4. Did she tell you her name?
      她告诉你她的姓名了吗？
   5. What did I tell you ? (= you should have listened to my advice)
      我跟你说什么来着？
   6. They've told us (that) they're not coming.
      他们已跟我们说过不来了。
   7. I kept telling myself (that) everything was OK.
      我不住告诉自己一切都没问题。
   8. Are you telling me you didn't have any help with this? (= I don't believe what you have said)
      你是说在这件事情上你没有得到过任何帮助吗？
   9. Tell me where you live.
      告诉我你住哪儿？
   10. ‘I'm ready to go now,’ he told her.
       “我可以走了。”他对她说。
2. 提供（情况）；说明；显示
   to give information about sth
   1. The advertisement told us very little about the product.
      这则广告提供的产品情况很少。
   2. This gauge tells you how much fuel you have left.
      这油表显示还剩有多少燃料。
   3. The sound of his breathing told her (that) he was asleep.
      她从他呼吸的声音中听出来他睡着了。

用言语表达 express in words

3. 讲述；说；表达
   to express sth in words
   1. to tell stories/jokes/lies
      讲故事；说笑话；撒谎
   2. Are you sure you're telling the truth ?
      你说的真是实话吗？
   3. I can't tell you how happy I am.
      我无法向你表达我多么高兴。

秘密 secret

4. 泄露（秘密）；告发
   to let sb know a secret
   1. Promise you won't tell.
      你要保证不往外讲。
   2. ‘Who are you going out with tonight?’ ‘ That would be telling !’ (= it's a secret)
      “你今晚要和谁约会？”“那可不能讲！”（是个秘密）

命令 order

5. 命令；指示；吩咐
   to order or advise sb to do sth
   1. He was told to sit down and wait.
      有人吩咐他坐下等着。
   2. There was a sign telling motorists to slow down.
      有一个让汽车司机减速的指示牌。
   3. I kept telling myself to keep calm.
      我不断叮嘱自己要保持冷静。
   4. Do what I tell you.
      你要照我的吩咐做。
   5. Children must do as they're told .
      孩子们必须听话。
   6. Don't tell me what to do!
      别跟我说该怎么办！
   7. The doctor told me (that) I should eat less fat.
      医生嘱咐我要少吃油腻。

知道；判断 know/judge

6. 知道；看出；确切地判断
   to know, see or judge sth correctly
   1. I think he's happy. It's hard to tell .
      我想他是幸福的。这很难说。
   2. As far as I can tell , she's enjoying the course.
      据我判断，她喜欢这门课程。
   3. I could tell (that) he was angry from his expression.
      从他的表情我看得出他生气了。
   4. ‘That's not an original.’ ‘How can you tell?’
      “那不是正本。”“你怎么知道的？”
   5. The only way to tell if you like something is by trying it.
      要判定是否喜欢一件东西，唯一的办法是试一试。

辨别 distinguish

7. 识别；分辨；区分；辨认
   to distinguish one thing or person from another
   1. It was hard to tell the difference between the two versions.
      很难分辨出这两个版本有什么区别。
   2. Can you tell Tom from his twin brother?
      你能分得出汤姆和他的孪生弟弟吗？
   3. It's difficult to tell them apart .
      很难把他们区分开来。
   4. The kittens look exactly alike─how can you tell which is which ?
      这些小猫看上去一模一样，你怎么能分辨出哪只是哪只呢？

有影响 have effect

8. 产生效果，发生影响（尤指负面影响）
   to have an effect on sb/sth, especially a bad one
   1. The strain was beginning to tell on the rescue team.
      过度的疲劳开始让救援队吃不消了。

1. VERB 告诉;告知
   If you tell someone something, you give them information.
   1. In the evening I returned to tell Phyllis our relationship was over...
      晚上我回来告诉菲莉丝我们之间完了。
   2. I called Andie to tell her how spectacular the stuff looked...
      我打电话告诉安迪，那东西看上去太棒了。
   3. Claire had made me promise to tell her the truth...
      克莱尔要我保证把真相告诉她。
   4. I only told the truth to the press when the single was released as it seemed the perfect time to do it...
      等到单曲唱片开始发行时，我才把真相透露给媒体，因为那似乎是最佳时机。
   5. Tell us about your moment on the summit...
      说说你登上顶峰的那一刻，心里是怎么想的。
   6. Her voice breaking with emotion, she told him: 'It doesn't seem fair'.
      她激动得声音颤抖，对他说：“这好像不公平吧。”
2. VERB 说(笑话);讲(故事);讲述(个人经历)
   If you tell something such as a joke, a story, or your personal experiences, you communicate it to other people using speech.
   1. His friends say he was always quick to tell a joke...
      他的朋友们说，以前他讲笑话总是张嘴就来。
   2. He told his story to The Sunday Times and produced photographs...
      他把自己的经历讲述给了《星期日泰晤士报》的记者，还提供了照片。
   3. Will you tell me a story?
      能讲个故事给我听吗？
3. VERB 叫;命令;吩咐;建议
   If you tell someone to do something, you order or advise them to do it.
   1. A passer-by told the driver to move his car so that it was not causing an obstruction...
      一个过路人叫那个司机把他的车挪一挪，免得挡道。
   2. She told me on the telephone to come help clean the house.
      她在电话里叫我过去帮忙打扫屋子。
4. VERB 劝说，告诫，鼓舞(自己)
   If you tell yourself something, you put it into words in your own mind because you need to encourage or persuade yourself about something.
   1. 'Come on', she told herself...
      “加油！”她在心里暗暗打气。
   2. I told myself I would be satisfied with whatever I could get.
      我告诉自己，不管得到什么我都会心满意足的。

Note that the verb tell is usually followed by a direct object indicating the person who is being addressed. He told Alison he was suffering from leukaemia... What did she tell you? 'What did she tell to you?' is wrong. With the verb say, however, if you want to mention the person who is being addressed, you should use the preposition to. 'What did she say you?' is wrong. 'What did she say to you?' is correct. Tell is used to report information that is given to someone. The manufacturer told me that the product did not contain corn. Tell can also be used with a 'to' infinitive to report an order or instruction. My mother told me to shut up and eat my dinner. Say is the most general verb for reporting the words that someone speaks.
注意，动词tell后面往往跟一个表示听话者的直接宾语：He told Alison he was suffering from leukaemia (他告诉艾莉森他患了白血病)，What did she tell you (她对你说了些什么)。句子 What did she tell to you 是错误的。不过，用动词 say 时，若要提及听话者，应该用介词 to，What did she say you 不对，What did she say to you 是对的。tell 用来转述信息：The manufacturer told me that the product did not contain corn (制造商告诉我该产品不含谷物)。tell 也可以和 to 连用，用来转述命令、指示：My mother told me to shut up and eat my dinner (我妈叫我别说话专心吃饭)。转述某人说的话时，动词 say 最为常用。

5. VERB 判断;断定;看出
   If you can tell what is happening or what is true, you are able to judge correctly what is happening or what is true.
   1. It was already impossible to tell where the bullet had entered...
      已经无法判断子弹是从哪里打进来的。
   2. I couldn't tell if he had been in a fight or had just fallen down...
      我不知道他是和人家打架了，还是仅仅摔了一跤。
   3. You can tell he's joking.
      你能看出来他是在开玩笑。
6. VERB 区分;辨别;识别
   If you can tell one thing from another, you are able to recognize the difference between it and other similar things.
   1. I can't really tell the difference between their policies and ours...
      我真的看不出他们的政策和我们的有什么不同。
   2. How do you tell one from another?...
      你怎么把他们区分开来？
   3. I had to look twice to tell which was Martinez; they all looked alike.
      我得仔细看一下才能认出哪个是马丁内斯，他们长得实在太像了。
7. VERB 说出秘密;泄密
   If you tell, you reveal or give away a secret.
   1. Many of the children know who they are but are not telling.
      许多孩子知道他们是谁，可就是不说。
8. VERB (事实、事件)表明，说明，显示
   If facts or events tell you something, they reveal certain information to you through ways other than speech.
   1. The facts tell us that this is not true...
      事实告诉我们，这不是真的。
   2. I don't think the unemployment rate ever tells us much about the future...
      我认为，从失业率上永远看不出未来的情况究竟如何。
   3. The evidence of our eyes tells us a different story...
      我们亲眼所见的可不是那么一回事。
   4. While most of us feel fairly complacent about the nutrients we're getting from our diets, the facts tell a very different story.
      虽然我们大多数人对于从饮食中获取的营养成分感到相当满足，实际情况却不是这样。
9. VERB (不快的或令人疲倦的经历)产生效果，产生影响
   If an unpleasant or tiring experience begins to tell, it begins to have a serious effect.
   1. The pressure began to tell as rain closed in after 20 laps...
      跑完 20 圈以后，眼看就要下雨了，大家开始紧张起来。
   2. The strains of office are beginning to tell on the prime minister.
      首相开始感到公务繁忙的压力了。
10. See also: telling kiss and tell
11. PHRASE 就…所知;据…所知
    You use as far as I can tell or so far as I could tell to indicate that what you are saying is based on the information you have, but that there may be things you do not know.
    1. As far as I can tell, Jason is basically a nice guy...
       据我所知，贾森算得上是个好人。
    2. So far as anyone can tell, there's evidence that there was a Robin Hood...
       众所周知，有证据表明确实有罗宾汉这么个人。
    3. As far as I could tell, neither of us was under observation.
       据我所知，我们俩都没有受到监视。
12. CONVENTION (用来强调所说的话)我可以肯定/我敢说/我没法形容
    You can say 'I tell you', 'I can tell you', or 'I can't tell you' to add emphasis to what you are saying.
    1. I tell you this, I will not rest until that day has come...
       我可以肯定地说，不到那天我不会休息。
    2. This little letter gave us a few chuckles, I can tell you...
       说真的，我们看了这封短信都笑了。
    3. I can't tell you how glad I was to leave that place.
       我无法形容自己离开那个地方心里有多高兴。
13. CONVENTION 谁也说不准;很难说
    If you say 'You never can tell', you mean that the future is always uncertain and it is never possible to know exactly what will happen.
    1. You never can tell what life is going to bring you.
       你永远不知道人生会给你带来些什么。
14. CONVENTION 我早就告诉过你;我说的没错吧
    If someone disagrees with you or refuses to do what you suggest and you are eventually proved to be right, you can say 'I told you so'.
    1. Her parents did not approve of her decision and, if she failed, her mother would say, 'I told you so.'
       她父母不赞同她的决定，要是她失败了，她妈妈就会说：“怎么样，我说对了吧？”
15. CONVENTION 我的建议是，听我说(用来引出建议或转换话题)
    You use I'll tell you what or I tell you what to introduce a suggestion or a new topic of conversation.
    1. I tell you what, I'll bring the water in a separate glass.
       要不这样吧，我用另一个玻璃杯把水端过来。
16. to tell the time → see: time

1. In the evening I returned to tell Phyllis our relationship was over
   晚上我回来告诉菲莉丝我们之间完了。
2. I called Andie to tell her how spectacular the stuff looked
   我打电话告诉安迪，那东西看上去太棒了。
3. Claire had made me promise to tell her the truth
   克莱尔要我保证把真相告诉她。
4. I only told the truth to the press when the single was released as it seemed the perfect time to do it
   等到单曲唱片开始发行时，我才把真相透露给媒体，因为那似乎是最佳时机。
5. Tell us about your moment on the summit
   说说你登上顶峰的那一刻，心里是怎么想的。
6. Her voice breaking with emotion, she told him: 'It doesn't seem fair'.
   她激动得声音颤抖，对他说：“这好像不公平吧。”
7. His friends say he was always quick to tell a joke
   他的朋友们说，以前他讲笑话总是张嘴就来。
8. He told his story to The Sunday Times and produced photographs
   他把自己的经历讲述给了《星期日泰晤士报》的记者，还提供了照片。
9. Will you tell me a story?
   能讲个故事给我听吗？
10. A passer-by told the driver to move his car so that it was not causing an obstruction
    一个过路人叫那个司机把他的车挪一挪，免得挡道。
11. She told me on the telephone to come help clean the house.
    她在电话里叫我过去帮忙打扫屋子。
12. 'Come on', she told herself
    “加油！”她在心里暗暗打气。
13. I told myself I would be satisfied with whatever I could get.
    我告诉自己，不管得到什么我都会心满意足的。
14. It was already impossible to tell where the bullet had entered
    已经无法判断子弹是从哪里打进来的。
15. I couldn't tell if he had been in a fight or had just fallen down
    我不知道他是和人家打架了，还是仅仅摔了一跤。
16. You can tell he's joking.
    你能看出来他是在开玩笑。
17. I can't really tell the difference between their policies and ours
    我真的看不出他们的政策和我们的有什么不同。
18. How do you tell one from another?
    你怎么把他们区分开来？
19. I had to look twice to tell which was Martinez; they all looked alike.
    我得仔细看一下才能认出哪个是马丁内斯，他们长得实在太像了。
20. Many of the children know who they are but are not telling.
    许多孩子知道他们是谁，可就是不说。
21. The facts tell us that this is not true
    事实告诉我们，这不是真的。
22. I don't think the unemployment rate ever tells us much about the future
    我认为，从失业率上永远看不出未来的情况究竟如何。
23. The evidence of our eyes tells us a different story
    我们亲眼所见的可不是那么一回事。
24. While most of us feel fairly complacent about the nutrients we're getting from our diets, the facts tell a very different story.
    虽然我们大多数人对于从饮食中获取的营养成分感到相当满足，实际情况却不是这样。
25. The pressure began to tell as rain closed in after 20 laps
    跑完20圈以后，眼看就要下雨了，大家开始紧张起来。
26. As far as I can tell, Jason is basically a nice guy
    据我所知，贾森算得上是个好人。
27. I tell you this, I will not rest until that day has come
    我可以肯定地说，不到那天我不会休息。
28. You never can tell what life is going to bring you.
    你永远不知道人生会给你带来些什么。
29. Her parents did not approve of her decision and, if she failed, her mother would say, 'I told you so.'
    她父母不赞同她的决定，要是她失败了，她妈妈就会说：“怎么样，我说对了吧？”
30. I tell you what, I'll bring the water in a separate glass.
    要不这样吧，我用另一个玻璃杯把水端过来。

  say speak talk tell【导航词义：说，讲】

  say v. 说，讲

〔辨析〕最普通用词，指用语言表达思想，侧重于所说的具体内容，通常用作及物动词。

  speak v. 说（话），讲话

〔辨析〕用作不及物动词时，侧重指说话的动作而非内容，可指长篇演讲或三言两语的交谈，也可指简单的开口说话的能力；用作及物动词时，其宾语常为某种语言。

  talk v. 说，说话，交谈

〔辨析〕普通用词，用作不及物动词时，侧重指与人交谈时的连续说话，可指单方面较长谈话，和 speak 一样，强调说话的动作而非内容；用作及物动词时，宾语多为 sense，nonsense，business，rubbish 等。

  tell v. 告诉

〔辨析〕普通用词，指直接给某人讲述或以间接的方式转述某事，有时含嘱托、命令之意，常后接双宾语或复合宾语。

tell against sb

1. 对…不利
   to be a disadvantage to sb

tell of sth

1. 公布；说明
   to make sth known; to give an account of sth
   1. The advertisement told us very little about the product.
      这则广告提供的产品情况很少。
   2. This gauge tells you how much fuel you have left.
      这油表显示还剩有多少燃料。
   3. The sound of his breathing told her (that) he was asleep.
      她从他呼吸的声音中听出来他睡着了。

tell sb↔off (for sth/for doing sth)

1. 责备；斥责；责骂；数落
   to speak angrily to sb for doing sth wrong
   1. to tell stories/jokes/lies
      讲故事；说笑话；撒谎
   2. Are you sure you're telling the truth ?
      你说的真是实话吗？
   3. I can't tell you how happy I am.
      我无法向你表达我多么高兴。

tell on sb

1. 告发；打…的小报告；告…的状
   to tell a person in authority about sth bad that sb has done
   1. Promise you won't tell.
      你要保证不往外讲。
   2. ‘Who are you going out with tonight?’ ‘ That would be telling !’ (= it's a secret)
      “你今晚要和谁约会？”“那可不能讲！”（是个秘密）

v.

all told

• 合计；总共
  with all people, etc. counted and included
  1. There are 52 people coming, all told.
     总共有52人要来。

don't tell me

• （用以表示知道或猜得出他人要说什么）不至于…吧，别又要说…了吧
  used to say that you know or can guess what sb is going to say, especially because it is typical of them
  1. Don't tell me you were late again!
     你不至于又迟到了吧！

I/I'll tell you what

• 我的建议是；听我说
  used to introduce a suggestion
  1. I'll tell you what─let's stay in instead.
     听我说，咱们还是待在家里吧。

I tell you

I can tell you

I'm telling you

• 我可以肯定地说；我敢说；确实
  used to emphasize what you are saying, especially when it is surprising or difficult to believe
  1. It isn't cheap, I can tell you!
     我敢说，这并不便宜！
  2. I'm telling you, that's exactly what she said.
     我可以肯定地说，那正是她的原话。

I told you (so)

• 我提醒过你要出事；不听好人言，吃亏在眼前
  used when sth bad has happened, to remind sb that you warned them about it and they did not listen to you

live, etc. to tell the tale

• 幸免于难之后向人讲述真实经历
  to survive a difficult or dangerous experience so that you can tell others what really happened

tell a different story/tale

• 说的情况迥然不同；讲出来的是另一回事
  to give some information that is different from what you expect or have been told

tell its own tale/story

• 不言而喻；不释自明；无须解释
  to explain itself, without needing any further explanation or comment
  1. Her face told its own story.
     看她的面部表情，就什么都明白了。

tell me

• （用以引出问题）告诉我，跟我说实话
  used to introduce a question
  1. Tell me, have you had lunch yet?
     跟我说实话，你吃过午餐没有？

tell me about it

• 你算说对了；的确
  used to say that you understand what sb is talking about and have had the same experience
  1. ‘I get so annoyed with Steve!’ ‘Tell me about it. He drives me crazy.’
     “史蒂夫把我烦透了！”“你算说对了。他快把我逼疯了。”

tell me another!

• 不见得吧；我不相信；别瞎扯
  used to tell sb that you do not believe what they have said

tell tales (about sth/on sb)

• 揭人短处；说长道短
  to tell sb about sth that another person has done wrong

tell the time

• （根据钟表等）说出时间；报时
  to read the time from a clock, etc.
  1. She's only five─she hasn't learnt to tell the time yet.
     她才五岁，还没有学会看钟表。

tell sb where to get off/where they can get off

• 警告某人的行为不可容忍；不吃某人的这一套
  to make it clear to sb that you will no longer accept their bad behaviour

tell sb where to put/stick sth

tell sb what they can do with sth

• 别来这一套；让某人收起…的一套
  to make it clear to sb that you are angry and are rejecting what they are offering you

there's no telling

• 无法知道；难以预料
  used to say that it is impossible to know what happened or will happen
  1. There's no telling how they'll react.
     说不准他们会有什么反应。

to tell (you) the truth

• 说实话；老实说；说真的
  used when admitting sth
  1. To tell the truth, I fell asleep in the middle of her talk.
     说实话，我在她讲话过程中睡着了。

you can never tell

you never can tell

• 谁也拿不准；谁也说不清；很难说
  you can never be sure, for example because things are not always what they appear to be

you're telling me!

• 我完全同意；的确如此
  I completely agree with you

hear tell (of sth)

• 听到人谈论（某事）；听说
  to hear people talking about sth
  1. I've often heard tell of such things.
     我常听到人谈起这种事。

kiss and tell

• （通常为了获利）泄露与名人的私情
  a way of referring to sb talking publicly, usually for money, about a past sexual relationship with sb famous

a little bird told me

• （不想说出是谁告诉的）有人告诉我的，不告诉你我是怎么知道的
  used to say that sb told you sth but you do not want to say who it was

know/tell sb a thing or two (about sb/sth)

• 了解 / 透露有用的（或有趣的、意外的）信息；有所了解 / 披露；见多识广
  to know/tell sb some useful, interesting or surprising information about sb/sth
  1. She's been married five times, so she knows a thing or two about men!
     她结过五次婚，所以对男人有所了解。

time (alone) will tell

only time will tell

• （只有）时间会证明
  used to say that you will have to wait for some time to find out the result of a situation
  1. Only time will tell if the treatment has been successful.
     只有时间才能证明这种疗法是否成功。

if (the) truth be known/told

• （用于说出真相）说实话，说真的，老实说
  used to tell sb the true facts about a situation, especially when these are not known by other people

verb

1. mark as different
   1. We distinguish several kinds of maple

   Synonym:    distinguishseparatedifferentiatesecernsecernateseveralizeseveralisetell apart

2. discern or comprehend
   1. He could tell that she was unhappy

3. give instructions to or direct somebody to do something with authority
   1. I said to him to go home
   2. She ordered him to do the shopping
   3. The mother told the child to get dressed

   Synonym:    orderenjoinsay

4. let something be known
   1. Tell them that you will be late

5. narrate or give a detailed account of
   1. Tell what happened
   2. The father told a story to his child

   Synonym:    narraterecountrecite

6. give evidence
   1. he was telling on all his former colleague

   Synonym:    evidence

7. express in words
   1. He said that he wanted to marry her
   2. tell me what is bothering you
   3. state your opinion
   4. state your name

   Synonym:    statesay

8. inform positively and with certainty and confidence
   1. I tell you that man is a crook!

   Synonym:    assure