Tell

/tel/

Học thuật

Thân thiện

Definition

Verb:
- To communicate information, facts, or news to someone in spoken or written words: The primary meaning involves conveying something to another person.
- To narrate or relate a story or events: To give a detailed account of something that happened.
- To order, instruct, or advise someone to do something: To give a command or direction.
- To discern, perceive, or recognize something: To be able to see, understand, or distinguish a fact or detail.
- To have a noticeable effect or impact: To produce a visible or significant result.

Examples of Usage

Verb (Communicate Information):
- Please tell me your name.
- He told us the good news.
Verb (Narrate):
- She told a fascinating story about her travels.
- Can you tell me what happened?
Verb (Order/Instruct):
- I told you to be careful.
- The teacher told the students to open their books.
Verb (Discern/Perceive):
- I can tell you're unhappy from your expression.
- It's hard to tell the difference between the twins.
Verb (Have an Effect):
- The strain is beginning to tell on his health.
- Her experience tells in the quality of her work.

Advanced Usage

"To tell the truth": To be honest or to speak honestly.
- To tell the truth, I didn't enjoy the movie.
"To tell time": To be able to read the time from a clock.
- My daughter is learning to tell time.
"To tell a lie": To say something that is not true.
- He told a lie to avoid getting into trouble.

Variants and Related Words

Teller (n): A person who tells something (e.g., a storyteller) or a bank employee who handles customers' transactions.
- He is a great teller of tales.
Foretell (v): To predict or prophesy a future event.
- The ancient oracle sought to foretell the future.

Synonyms

Related Phrasal Verbs

Tell off: To reprimand or scold someone angrily.
- His boss told him off for being late.
Tell on:
- To inform an authority about someone's misbehavior: His little sister told on him for eating the cookies.
- To have a taxing effect on someone: The long hours are telling on the entire team.
Tell apart: To distinguish between two or more similar things or people.
- The two signatures are so similar, I can't tell them apart.

Related Idioms

Tell it like it is: To speak honestly and directly without hiding unpleasant facts.
- You can trust her to tell it like it is.
Time will tell: Used to say that the truth or result of a situation will become clear over time.
- Will the new policy work? Only time will tell.
You're telling me!: An informal expression used to strongly agree with what someone has just said.
- "It's cold today!" "You're telling me! I'm freezing!"

Noun

a Swiss patriot who lived in the early 14th century and who was renowned for his skill as an archer; according to legend an Austrian governor compelled him to shoot an apple from his son's head with his crossbow (which he did successfully without mishap)

Verb

mark as different
- We distinguish several kinds of maple
give evidence
- he was telling on all his former colleague
inform positively and with certainty and confidence
- I tell you that man is a crook!
discern or comprehend
- He could tell that she was unhappy
give instructions to or direct somebody to do something with authority
- I said to him to go home
- She ordered him to do the shopping
- The mother told the child to get dressed
narrate or give a detailed account of
- Tell what happened
- The father told a story to his child
let something be known
- Tell them that you will be late
express in words
- He said that he wanted to marry her
- tell me what is bothering you
- state your opinion
- state your name

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