Say or Tell? The Listener Trick

Your best friend just got engaged!

¡Tu mejor amigo acaba de comprometerse!

You rush home and say, I said him the news!

Corres a casa y dices: "I said him the news!"

Hmm... something sounds wrong, doesn't it?

Mmm... algo suena mal, ¿verdad?

Here's the trick.

Aquí está el truco.

Tell needs a listener. Say doesn't.

"Tell" necesita a alguien que escuche. "Say", no.

With tell, you name the person straight away.

Con "tell", nombras a la persona enseguida.

Tell me. Tell her. Tell your boss.

"Tell me." "Tell her." "Tell your boss."

With say, the words come first.

Con "say", primero van las palabras.

She said hello. He said it was late.

"She said hello." "He said it was late."

Want to add a person? Use to.

¿Quieres añadir a una persona? Usa "to".

He said sorry to me.

"He said sorry to me."

Wait, what about tell a story?

Espera, ¿y "tell a story"?

Good catch! A few fixed phrases break the rule.

¡Bien visto! Algunas expresiones fijas rompen la regla.

Tell a story, tell the truth, tell a lie, tell a joke.

"Tell a story", "tell the truth", "tell a lie", "tell a joke".

So when you're stuck, look for the listener.

Así que, cuando dudes, busca al que escucha.

Is a person right after the verb? Then tell.

¿Hay una persona justo después del verbo? Entonces, "tell".

No person? Then say.

¿No hay nadie? Entonces, "say".

Go on, tell someone what you just learned!

¡Venga, cuéntale a alguien lo que acabas de aprender!