tell

sagen, erzählen

Jemandem mündlich oder schriftlich Informationen geben.

In einfachem Englisch: To give someone information by speaking or writing.

• Tell me your name.
• She told us a funny story.
• Did he tell you what happened?

So benutzt man es: tell someone something (Please tell me the answer.); tell someone that… (He told me that the shop was closed.); tell someone about something (She told us about her trip.)

Synonyme: inform

Häufige Wendungen: tell someone something, tell the truth, tell a story

auffordern, anweisen

Jemandem sagen, dass er etwas tun muss.

In einfachem Englisch: To say that someone must do something.

• Tell him to wait.
• My teacher told me to sit down.
• Who told you to open that door?

So benutzt man es: tell someone to do something (She told us to leave.); tell someone not to do something (Dad told me not to touch the pan.)

Synonyme: order, instruct, direct

Häufige Wendungen: tell someone to, tell someone not

petzen, verpetzen

Jemandes Fehlverhalten einer Person melden, die ihn bestrafen kann.

In einfachem Englisch: To report someone’s bad behavior to a person who can punish them.

• Please do not tell!
• He told on his sister for breaking the window.
• If you cheat again, I will tell the teacher.

So benutzt man es: tell on someone (He threatened to tell on us.)

Synonyme: report, inform

Häufige Wendungen: tell on someone, tell the teacher

bestimmen, ermitteln

Eine Zahl, eine Menge oder die Uhrzeit herausfinden.

In einfachem Englisch: To work out a number, an amount, or the time.

• Can you tell the time?
• She learned to tell time on an old clock.
• All told, we collected two hundred pounds.

Synonyme: determine, count

Häufige Wendungen: tell the time, tell time, all told

erklären, erzählen

In einer Geschichte Tatsachen direkt nennen, statt sie durch Handlungen oder Beschreibungen deutlich zu machen.

In einfachem Englisch: To state facts directly in a story instead of letting actions or descriptions make them clear.

• This paragraph tells the reader that Anna is lonely.
• The narrator tells us how the brothers feel.
• Try showing his anger instead of telling the reader about it.

Synonyme: explain, state

Gegenteile: show

Häufige Wendungen: tell the reader, tell rather than show