tell

dire, raconter

Communiquer des informations à quelqu’un en parlant ou en écrivant.

En anglais simple : To give someone information by speaking or writing.

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

Comment l'utiliser : 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.)

Synonymes : inform

Expressions courantes : tell someone something, tell the truth, tell a story

dire, ordonner

Dire à quelqu’un qu’il doit faire quelque chose.

En anglais simple : 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?

Comment l'utiliser : tell someone to do something (She told us to leave.); tell someone not to do something (Dad told me not to touch the pan.)

Synonymes : order, instruct, direct

Expressions courantes : tell someone to, tell someone not

rapporter, dénoncer

Signaler le mauvais comportement de quelqu’un à une personne qui peut le punir.

En anglais simple : 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.

Comment l'utiliser : tell on someone (He threatened to tell on us.)

Synonymes : report, inform

Expressions courantes : tell on someone, tell the teacher

déterminer, calculer

Trouver un nombre, une quantité ou l’heure.

En anglais simple : 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.

Synonymes : determine, count

Expressions courantes : tell the time, tell time, all told

expliquer, raconter

Dans un récit, énoncer directement les faits plutôt que les faire comprendre par des actions ou descriptions.

En anglais simple : 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.

Synonymes : explain, state

Contraires : show

Expressions courantes : tell the reader, tell rather than show