tale
gb/tˈeɪl/ us/tˈeɪl/
A2
Inglés
~ 2700
Acepciones
0 acepciones
Sustantivo
A2
entity
1
A story, real or imagined
A story about things that happened, either real or made up.
Patrón de uso:
a tale about [something]
Error frecuente:
Learners sometimes confuse 'tale' with 'tail' (the body part of an animal). The pronunciation is the same, but the meanings are different.
Sinónimos
story (The most common general synonym; 'tale' can sound more traditional or literary.)
|
narrative (More formal and often used in academic or analytical contexts.)
Antónimos
fact (A statement known to be true, as opposed to a fictional or embellished narrative.)
Colocaciones
tell a tale
|folk tale
|tall tale
|fairy tale
|moral of the tale
Temas
literature
|entertainment
|communication
|arts_entertainment
|education
Ejemplos
- She told me a fascinating tale about her travels in Asia.
- The old man shared a tale from his youth.
- That novel is a tragic tale of love and loss.
- Children love listening to fairy tales before bed.
- He spun a tale to explain why he was late.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- I read a tale about a brave girl.
- My grandfather told me a funny tale.
- This book is a tale of two friends.
- He told a tale about a big dog.
- We listened to a tale before sleeping.
Sustantivo
B1
entity
2
Report of gossip or wrongdoing
A story about someone that may not be true, often told to cause trouble.
Patrón de uso:
tell tales about [someone]
Error frecuente:
Learners may not realize 'tell tales' is often negative, meaning to report someone’s wrongdoing, especially in a petty way.
Sinónimos
gossip (General talk about others' private lives; 'tale' in this sense often implies accusation.)
|
rumor (Unverified information spread among people.)
Antónimos
truth (Accurate and verified information.)
Colocaciones
tell tales
|spread tales
|tales of corruption
Temas
communication
|social
|relationships
|daily_life
Ejemplos
- He was always telling tales about his classmates to the teacher.
- The politician dismissed the allegations as mere tales.
- They accused her of spreading malicious tales.
- The newspaper was full of tales about celebrity scandals.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- She told tales about her friend to the teacher.
- He likes to tell tales about other people.
- Do not tell tales; it is not nice.
- They spread tales about the new boy.
Gramática
Forma de diccionario
tale
AFI
GB/tˈeɪl/
US/tˈeɪl/
Sílabas y acento
tale (1 sílaba)
Stress on 1st syllable (tale)
Formas de la palabra
Noun
- Base: tale
- Plural: tales
Familia de palabras
Forms
tales
noun
Core family
tell
verb A1
Related words
storyteller
noun B1
folktale
noun B2
Advanced or less common
telltale
adjective B2
Expresiones
tell tales
1/tˈɛl tˈeɪlz/
fixed phrase
Report someone’s wrongdoing
To tell someone in authority about another person’s bad actions, often to get them in trouble.
Ejemplos
- Stop telling tales about your brother.
- She was accused of telling tales at work.
fairy tale
1/fˈɛɹi tˈeɪl/
fixed phrase
traditional magical story for children
A simple story, often for children, with magic, fairies, or other unreal things; also used for a very happy, almost unreal situation.
Ejemplos
- She read her daughter a fairy tale before bed.
- Cinderella is my favorite fairy tale.
- Their wedding was like something out of a fairy tale.
- Their wedding was like a fairy tale, with a castle and fireworks.
- The book is a modern fairy tale about a girl who can talk to animals.
tall tale
1/tˈɔl tˈeɪl/
fixed phrase
Exaggerated, unlikely story
A story that is not true because it is too big or strange.
Ejemplos
- He entertained the kids with a tall tale about a giant fish.
- He told us a tall tale about catching a fish as big as a car.
- That sounds like another one of his tall tales.
- That sounds like a tall tale to me.