Say or Tell? The Listener Trick

Your best friend just got engaged!

제일 친한 친구가 방금 약혼했어요!

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

집에 달려가서 "I said him the news!"라고 말해요.

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

음... 뭔가 이상하게 들리죠?

Here's the trick.

요령은 이거예요.

Tell needs a listener. Say doesn't.

"tell"에는 듣는 사람이 필요해요. "say"는 아니고요.

With tell, you name the person straight away.

"tell"은 바로 뒤에 사람을 말해요.

Tell me. Tell her. Tell your boss.

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

With say, the words come first.

"say"는 말한 내용이 먼저 와요.

She said hello. He said it was late.

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

Want to add a person? Use to.

사람을 넣고 싶나요? "to"를 쓰세요.

He said sorry to me.

"He said sorry to me."

Wait, what about tell a story?

잠깐, 그럼 "tell a story"는요?

Good catch! A few fixed phrases break the rule.

잘 찾았어요! 몇몇 고정 표현은 예외예요.

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.

그러니까 헷갈리면 듣는 사람을 찾아보세요.

Is a person right after the verb? Then tell.

동사 바로 뒤에 사람이 있나요? 그럼 "tell".

No person? Then say.

사람이 없나요? 그럼 "say".

Go on, tell someone what you just learned!

자, 방금 배운 걸 누군가에게 말해 주세요!