tell

言う、伝える、話す

話したり書いたりして、人に情報を知らせる。

やさしい英語で： To give someone information by speaking or writing.

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

使い方： 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.)

類義語： inform

よく使う表現： tell someone something, tell the truth, tell a story

命じる、指示する

人に、何かをしなければならないと伝える。

やさしい英語で： 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?

使い方： tell someone to do something (She told us to leave.); tell someone not to do something (Dad told me not to touch the pan.)

類義語： order, instruct, direct

よく使う表現： tell someone to, tell someone not

告げ口する

人の悪い行いを、その人を罰する立場の人に知らせる。

やさしい英語で： 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.

使い方： tell on someone (He threatened to tell on us.)

類義語： report, inform

よく使う表現： tell on someone, tell the teacher

判断する、数える

数や量、時刻を調べたり考えたりして知る。

やさしい英語で： 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.

類義語： determine, count

よく使う表現： tell the time, tell time, all told

説明する

物語で、行動や描写から伝える代わりに事実を直接説明する。

やさしい英語で： 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.

類義語： explain, state

反対語： show

よく使う表現： tell the reader, tell rather than show