tell
gb/tˈɛl/ us/tˈɛl/
A1
English
~ 200
elmond, megmond, mond, utasít, lát, megállapít, beárul, elárul, árulkodik
VERB
A1
1
Usage pattern:
to tell [someone] [something]
She told me the results of the test.
Elmondta nekem a teszt eredményeit.
Please tell him that I will be late.
Kérlek, mondd meg neki, hogy késni fogok.
He told the class an interesting story.
I can't tell you how much I appreciate your help.
Learner examples
Please tell me your name.
Kérlek, mondd meg a nevedet.
Can you tell him the news?
El tudod mondani neki a hírt?
I will tell you about my trip.
She told her friend a funny story.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'tell' with 'say'. 'Tell' is usually followed by a person: 'Tell me', not 'Tell to me'.
Meaning
Say something to someone
Collocations
tell the truth
|tell a story
|tell a joke
|tell someone something
|tell the difference
Synonyms
inform (More formal and often used in official contexts.)
Antonyms
withhold (To deliberately not give information.)
Themes
communication
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To give information to someone by speaking or writing.
To communicate information, facts, or news to someone by speaking or writing.
VERB
A1
2
Usage pattern:
to tell [someone] to [do something]
The teacher told us to open our books.
A tanár azt mondta, hogy nyissuk ki a könyveinket.
I told him to call me when he arrived.
Azt mondtam neki, hogy hívjon fel, amikor megérkezik.
She told her children to clean their rooms.
Learner examples
My mom told me to eat my food.
Anyukám azt mondta, hogy egyem meg az ételt.
The boss told us to work faster.
A főnök azt mondta, hogy dolgozzunk gyorsabban.
I told him to come here.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes forget to use 'to' before the verb: 'She told me go' should be 'She told me to go'.
Meaning
Give an order or instruction
Collocations
tell someone to stop
|tell someone to wait
|tell someone what to do
Synonyms
instruct (More formal and often used in professional or educational contexts.)
Antonyms
ask (To request politely rather than command.)
Themes
communication
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To say to someone that they should do something.
To give someone an order or direction to do something.
VERB
B1
3
Usage pattern:
to tell [something] from [something]
I can tell from your face that you're upset.
Látom az arcodon, hogy feldúlt vagy.
You can never tell what will happen next.
Sosem lehet tudni, mi fog történni ezután.
Can you tell the twins apart?
Learner examples
I can tell she is happy.
Látom, hogy boldog.
Can you tell which is bigger?
Meg tudod mondani, melyik a nagyobb?
I can tell the two cats apart.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse this with 'guess', but 'tell' here means you know from evidence, not chance.
Meaning
Recognize or distinguish something
Collocations
tell the difference
|tell apart
Synonyms
distinguish (More formal; often used in academic contexts.)
Antonyms
confuse (To mistake one thing for another.)
Themes
perception
|thinking
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To know or understand something by seeing or hearing it.
To recognize, judge, or know something from evidence, signs, or observation.
VERB
B1
4
Usage pattern:
to tell on [someone]
He told on his classmate for cheating.
Beárulta az osztálytársát, mert puskázott.
Don't tell anyone what I said.
Ne áruld el senkinek, amit mondtam.
She told the police everything she knew.
Learner examples
He told the teacher I was late.
Beárulta a tanárnak, hogy elkéstem.
She told on me to my mom.
Rám árulkodott anyukámnak.
I told the police about the man.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'tell on' with simply 'tell'; 'tell on' specifically means reporting wrongdoing.
Meaning
Reveal a secret about someone
Collocations
tell on someone
|tell tales
Synonyms
betray (More emotional; implies disloyalty.)
Antonyms
protect (To keep someone's secret or avoid exposing them.)
Themes
communication
|social
|law
|relationships
Definition
To say something secret about someone, especially to an authority.
To inform someone, often an authority, about another person's wrongdoing or private matters.
Grammar
Dictionary form
tell
IPA
GB/tˈɛl/
US/tˈɛl/
Syllables & stress
tell (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (tell)
Word forms
Verb
- Base: tell
- 3rd Person Singular: tells
- Present Participle: telling
- Past: told
- Past Participle: told
Word family
Forms
tells
verb
telling
verb
told
verb
Core family
teller
noun B1
Related words
retell
verb B1
Negative and opposite forms
untold
adjective B2
Advanced or less common
telltale
adjective B2
foretell
verb B2
Highlights
- Irregular past: told Verb
- Irregular past participle: told Verb
Expressions
tell a story
1/tˈɛl ə stˈɔɹi/
fixed phrase
Recount events in words
To talk about events, real or made up, in detail.
Examples
- Grandpa loves to tell stories about his youth.
- She told a story about a dragon.
tell on (someone)
1/tˈɛl ˈɔn sˈʌmwˌʌn/
phrasal verb
informal
Report wrongdoing to authority
To say to an authority that someone did something wrong.
Examples
- If you don't stop, I'll tell on you.
- She told on her brother for breaking the vase.
tell the difference
1/tˈɛl ðə dˈɪfɹəns/
fixed phrase
Recognize how things differ
To see how two things are not the same.
Examples
- Can you tell the difference between these fabrics?
- I can’t tell the difference between these two shades of blue.
- It's hard to tell the difference between the twins.
- Can you tell the difference between fake and real leather?
tell the truth
1/tˈɛl ðə tɹˈuθ/
fixed phrase
Say what is true honestly
To say what is true and not lie.
Examples
- Please tell the truth about what happened.
- He finally told the truth after many lies.
- He finally told the truth after hours of questioning.