Indirekte Rede: Say vs. Tell
Listener und Information!
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Use 'tell' when you mention the listener; use 'say' when you focus on the words spoken.
- Tell + Person: Always follow 'tell' with a personal object (e.g., 'Tell me').
- Say + Words: Use 'say' followed by the message or 'that' (e.g., 'Say hello').
- Say + To + Person: If you use 'say' with a person, you must use 'to' (e.g., 'Say to him').
Overview
say und tell. Für uns Deutsche ist das oft verwirrend, weil wir im Deutschen meistens einfach das Verb „sagen“ benutzen. Im Deutschen gibt es keine strikte grammatikalische Unterscheidung, die zwingend vorschreibt, ob ein Objekt folgt oder nicht – wir sagen einfach „Er hat mir gesagt, dass...“ oder „Er hat gesagt, dass...“.say und tell ist kein reiner Stil-Aspekt, sondern eine Frage der grammatikalischen Struktur. Wenn du den Unterschied nicht kennst, klingt dein Englisch schnell unnatürlich, selbst wenn der Satzbau ansonsten korrekt ist.say) oder auf die Übermittlung der Nachricht an eine bestimmte Person (tell). Das ist vergleichbar mit dem Unterschied zwischen „sagen“ und „mitteilen“ oder „erzählen“, aber die englische Grammatik ist hier viel konsequenter. Die Verwirrung entsteht oft durch die L1-Interferenz, da wir im Deutschen gewohnt sind, „sagen“ universell einzusetzen.indirect object. Im Englischen funktioniert tell fast immer wie das deutsche Verb „mitteilen“ oder „jemandem etwas erzählen“. Es verlangt zwingend nach einem Empfänger der Information.tell benutzt, muss danach sofort die Person kommen, die die Nachricht erhält.say auf den Inhalt des Gesagten, also die bloße Äußerung. Say ist kein transitives Verb im Sinne der direkten Objekt-Ergänzung für Personen. Du kannst say nicht direkt mit einem indirekten Objekt kombinieren (also kein say me).to verwenden: say to someone.- Deutsch: „Er sagt mir das.“ (Hier ist „mir“ das Dativobjekt).
- Englisch: „He tells me that.“ (Hier ist „me“ das
direct objectdes Verbstell).
say zu hängen (z.B. *He said me that...*), begehst du einen klassischen Fehler, weil say im Englischen kein Dativobjekt „verträgt“. Es ist eine Frage der Valenz des Verbs.Tell ist ein dreiwertiges Verb (Subjekt + Verb + Empfänger + Inhalt), während say eher auf den Inhalt fokussiert ist. Das Verständnis dieser Struktur hilft dir, deine Sätze nicht nur grammatikalisch korrekt, sondern auch flüssiger zu gestalten. Wenn du dir unsicher bist, frag dich: „Ist mir wichtig, *wem* ich es sage?“ Wenn ja, greif zu tell.say deine Wahl.say + (that) + clause | Inhalt | He said that he was tired. |say + to + object + (that) | Inhalt + Empfänger | He said to me that he was tired. |tell + object + (that) + clause | Information an Person | He told me that he was tired. |tell + object + infinitive | Befehl/Anweisung | She told me to wait here. |tell viel direkter. Die Struktur tell + object + infinitive ist besonders wichtig für Anweisungen, was im Deutschen oft mit „sagen, dass er... soll“ oder „jemandem befehlen“ übersetzt wird.tell immer ein Objekt (me, you, him, her, us, them) direkt nach dem Verb steht.say, wenn die Nachricht im Vordergrund steht. Zum Beispiel: The sign says 'Closed'. Hier kann kein Mensch das Objekt sein, also ist tell unmöglich. Auch bei Zitaten ist say der Standard: She said, 'I am coming later.'Tell benutzt du immer dann, wenn du eine Geschichte erzählst (tell a story), eine Lüge verbreitest (tell a lie) oder jemanden über etwas informierst (tell someone the truth). Es ist ein interaktiver Prozess. Wenn du in einer Bar bist und jemanden nach der Uhrzeit fragst, sagst du: Can you tell me the time? Du würdest hier niemals say benutzen, weil die Information spezifisch an dich gerichtet ist.tell: My boss told me to finish the report. Wenn du hingegen nur ein Gerücht hörst, nutzt du say: People are saying that the company is hiring. Hier ist die Quelle (die Person) irrelevant, daher ist say passender. Diese Nuancen machen den Unterschied zwischen einem B1-Niveau und einem fortgeschrittenen Sprachgefühl aus.- 1Der „Dativ-Fehler“: Viele Deutsche sagen: *
He said me that he is busy.
* Das ist der klassische Fehler, weil wir das deutsche Dativobjekt („mir“) direkt übersetzen. Dasaykein indirektes Objekt annimmt, musst du entweder *He told me...* oder *He said to me...
* sagen.
- 1Das fehlende Objekt bei
tell: Ein weiterer Fehler ist: *He told that the project is finished.
* Hier fehlt das „wem“.Tellist im Englischen immer transitiv in Bezug auf den Empfänger. Ohne Objekt ist der Satz unvollständig.
- 1Verwechslung bei Zitaten: Manche Lernende schreiben: *"He told, 'I am leaving'."* Auch das ist falsch.
Tellleitet keine direkten Zitate ein. Hier istsayzwingend erforderlich. Der Grund ist, dasstellden Inhalt einer Nachricht übermittelt, währendsaydie tatsächliche Äußerung zitiert.
say und tell mit anderen Verben der Kommunikation zu vergleichen, wie speak oder talk.say | Inhalt der Aussage | Say something nice. |tell | Information an Empfänger | Tell me the truth. |speak | Fähigkeit/Sprache | I speak German. |talk | Konversation/Austausch | We are talking about work. |say und tell sich auf das „Was“ oder „Wem“ beziehen, betonen speak und talk den Akt des Sprechens an sich. Wenn du merkst, dass du say oder tell nicht verwenden kannst, weil es um eine Unterhaltung geht, sind speak oder talk die richtigen Alternativen.say statt tell benutzen, wenn ich eine Person erwähne?say to verwenden, aber es klingt oft förmlicher oder distanzierter. Tell ist in E-Mails fast immer die natürlichere Wahl, wenn du jemanden direkt über etwas informierst.tell bei tell a joke oder tell a lie obligatorisch?tell verbunden sind, weil sie den Aspekt des „Erzählens“ oder „Übermittelns“ betonen. Das muss man als feste Einheit lernen.that nach say oder tell immer notwendig?that ist optional. Du kannst sagen: He told me he was busy oder He told me that he was busy. In der gesprochenen Sprache lassen die meisten Muttersprachler das that weg, um schneller zu sein.Irregular Forms of Say and Tell
| Base Form | Past Simple | Past Participle | Third Person Singular | Present Participle |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Say
|
Said /sed/
|
Said /sed/
|
Says /sez/
|
Saying
|
|
Tell
|
Told /toʊld/
|
Told /toʊld/
|
Tells
|
Telling
|
Meanings
The primary function of 'say' and 'tell' is to report information, thoughts, or instructions that were previously expressed by someone else.
Reporting Information
Using verbs to relay a message from one person to another.
“He said that the meeting was canceled.”
“They told us the news this morning.”
Giving Instructions
Using 'tell' to report an order or a strong request.
“The doctor told me to stay in bed.”
“She told him not to worry.”
Idiomatic Expressions
Fixed phrases where only one of the two verbs is correct regardless of the general rule.
“Tell a lie / Tell the truth.”
“Say a prayer.”
Reference Table
| Verb | Verwendung | Beispiel (Direkt) | Beispiel (Indirekt) |
|---|---|---|---|
|
say
|
Allgemeine Berichterstattung, kein direktes Objekt für die angesprochene Person.
|
`He said, "I'm tired." `
|
`He said he was tired.`
|
|
say to
|
Wenn du angeben möchtest, mit wem gesprochen wurde, aber optional und weniger gebräuchlich.
|
`She said to me, "It's late." `
|
`She said to me that it was late.`
|
|
tell
|
Immer gefolgt von einem direkten Objekt (wem etwas gesagt wurde).
|
`He told me, "Come here!" `
|
`He told me to come there.`
|
|
tell
|
Wird für Anweisungen, Informationen, Geschichten, Geheimnisse, Neuigkeiten verwendet.
|
`She told her friend, "I have a secret." `
|
`She told her friend she had a secret.`
|
|
tell
|
Für Befehle: `tell` + Objekt + Infinitiv.
|
`My boss told us, "Finish by Friday." `
|
`My boss told us to finish by Friday.`
|
|
say
|
Bei `that`-Sätzen kann `that` oft weggelassen werden.
|
`He said (that) he would be late.`
|
`He said (that) he would be late.`
|
|
tell
|
Bei `that`-Sätzen ist `that` oft optional, das Objekt jedoch nie.
|
`She told them (that) she loved the gift.`
|
`She told them (that) she loved the gift.`
|
Formalitätsspektrum
He informed me of his resignation. (Workplace gossip)
He told me he was quitting. (Workplace gossip)
He said he's out of here. (Workplace gossip)
He was like, 'I'm done.' (Workplace gossip)
Beispiele nach Niveau
He says 'Hello'.
He says 'Hello'.
Tell me your name.
Tell me your name.
She said 'Yes'.
She said 'Yes'.
They told us the secret.
They told us the secret.
I told him that I was busy.
I told him that I was busy.
What did you say to her?
What did you say to her?
He told a very funny joke.
He told a very funny joke.
She said she didn't like the food.
She said she didn't like the food.
The teacher told the students to open their books.
The teacher told the students to open their books.
I said that I would think about it.
I said that I would think about it.
Can you tell me how to get to the station?
Can you tell me how to get to the station?
He said to me that he was moving to London.
He said to me that he was moving to London.
It is said that the castle is haunted.
It is said that the castle is haunted.
He told me off for being late again.
He told me off for being late again.
I couldn't tell if she was joking or not.
I couldn't tell if she was joking or not.
She said she'd been waiting for over an hour.
She said she'd been waiting for over an hour.
To tell you the truth, I'm quite disappointed.
To tell you the truth, I'm quite disappointed.
The evidence says otherwise.
The evidence says otherwise.
I was told that the position had been filled.
I was told that the position had been filled.
Needless to say, we were all very surprised.
Needless to say, we were all very surprised.
There is much to be said for his approach.
There is much to be said for his approach.
The clock told of a time long forgotten.
The clock told of a time long forgotten.
He has the final say in all budgetary matters.
He has the final say in all budgetary matters.
I can't tell one twin from the other.
I can't tell one twin from the other.
Leicht verwechselbar
Learners use 'say' when they mean the act of talking or using a language.
Learners use 'tell' to describe a two-way conversation.
Learners forget the 'to' when using 'say' with a person.
Häufige Fehler
He said me hello.
He said hello to me.
She told that she is happy.
She said that she is happy.
I tell to him the news.
I tell him the news.
He said me his name.
He told me his name.
They said us to wait.
They told us to wait.
Can you say me the time?
Can you tell me the time?
He told a prayer.
He said a prayer.
I said him that I would come.
I told him that I would come.
She told to me a lie.
She told me a lie.
He said me to shut up.
He told me to shut up.
The report tells that profits are up.
The report says that profits are up.
Satzmuster
She told me that ___.
He said, '___'.
They told us to ___.
It's hard to tell the difference between ___ and ___.
Real World Usage
He said he's gonna be late.
My previous boss told me I was a great team player.
The witness said that the car was blue.
I told him to turn left at the light.
The post says the event is canceled.
The agent told me my refund was processed.
Immer nach dem Zuhörer suchen
She told me her secret.
Erzähl keine Geschichte!
He told a funny story.
Denk an 'Information' bei 'tell'
Can you tell me the way?
Untertitel lassen oft 'that' weg
He said he was coming.
Übe mit vergangenen Ereignissen
I told my friend about the party.
Smart Tips
Stop! Change it to 'told me' or 'said to me'.
Always use 'tell' + person + 'to'. It's the cleanest way to report an order.
Always check for the 'to'.
Use 'says', not 'tells'.
Aussprache
The 'Said' Vowel
The word 'said' is pronounced with a short /e/ sound, like 'bed'. It does NOT rhyme with 'paid'.
The 'Says' Vowel
Similarly, 'says' is pronounced /sez/, rhyming with 'fez', not /seɪz/.
Told Diphthong
The 'o' in 'told' is a long diphthong /oʊ/, like in 'gold' or 'cold'.
Reporting Emphasis
He TOLD me (not just said it!)
Emphasizing 'told' stresses that the information was specifically directed at the listener.
Einprägen
Eselsbrücke
TELL needs a TAIL (a person at the end of the verb). SAY is for what you SPAY (speak/display).
Visuelle Assoziation
Imagine the word 'TELL' having a long arm reaching out to grab a person (me, you, him). Imagine 'SAY' as a speech bubble containing only words, with no one nearby.
Rhyme
If you mention who you sell the news to, use TELL. If the words are all you say, then SAY is the way.
Story
Tom wanted to share a secret. He **said** 'I have a secret' to the wall. Then he saw Mary. He **told Mary** the secret. Mary **said** 'Wow!' and then she **told everyone**.
Word Web
Herausforderung
Look at your last 3 sent text messages. If you were reporting them to a friend, would you use 'say' or 'tell'? Write them out now.
Kulturelle Hinweise
Using 'tell' for orders is common, but in some cultures, it can sound too direct or aggressive. Using 'He said that I should...' is slightly softer than 'He told me to...'.
In casual American English, 'be like' is frequently used instead of 'say' or 'tell' to report speech and thoughts simultaneously.
The phrase 'I've been told' is a common polite way to introduce a piece of information without naming the source, often used in professional settings.
Both verbs come from Old English roots. 'Say' comes from 'secgan' (to say, speak, tell), and 'tell' comes from 'tellan' (to count, reckon, relate).
Gesprächseinstiege
What did your best friend tell you recently?
Tell me about a time someone told you a secret.
What is the funniest joke someone has ever told you?
If you could say one thing to your younger self, what would it be?
Tagebuch-Impulse
Häufige Fehler
Test Yourself
She ___ me she couldn't make it to the party.
Find and fix the mistake:
The news reporter told that the storm was approaching.
Arrange the words in the correct order:
All words placed
Click words above to build the sentence
Score: /3
Ubungsaufgaben
8 exercisesShe ___ me that she was tired.
He ___ that he would be late for the meeting.
Find and fix the mistake:
I said him to be quiet.
He said to me, 'I am hungry.'
Match the following:
A: What did the doctor ___ you? B: He ___ I should eat more vegetables.
Select the correct sentence.
You can use 'say' with a person if you use 'to'.
Score: /8
Practice Bank
12 exercisesMy coach always ___ us to train harder.
The weather forecast told it would rain tomorrow.
Choose the correct sentence:
Translate into English: 'My professor told me to read chapter three.'
Arrange these words into a sentence:
Match the reported verb with the correct structure:
The sign ___ 'No Parking'.
Choose the correct sentence:
Translate into English: 'She said she would call me back.'
He told a lie on his resume.
Arrange these words into a sentence:
Match the sentence beginning with the correct continuation:
Score: /12
FAQ (8)
Yes, but only in specific idioms like `tell a lie`, `tell the truth`, `tell a story`, or `tell the time`.
Yes, it is grammatically correct, but it is much less common than `He told me`. It sounds a bit more formal or old-fashioned.
`Tell` is for giving information (one-way), while `talk` is for having a conversation (two-way).
This is an old idiomatic use of 'tell' meaning 'to count' or 'to account for'.
Yes! `Tell me that you love me` is a perfect example of 'tell + person + that-clause'.
No. `Said` is pronounced /sed/, rhyming with 'red' or 'bed'.
You can, but you need to use 'that' and a modal verb: `He said that I should go`. `He told me to go` is more direct.
If you aren't mentioning the listener, you must use `say`. Example: `Someone said there was a fire.`
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
decir / contar
Spanish allows 'me dijo' (he said me), which is impossible in English.
dire / raconter
French doesn't have a direct equivalent to the 'tell + person' structural rule.
sagen / erzählen
German 'sagen' is used more often with people than English 'say'.
iu (言う) / tsutaeru (伝える)
Japanese doesn't distinguish between say/tell based on the presence of a listener in the same way.
qala (قال) / akhbara (أخبر)
Arabic uses one verb ('qala') for both 'say' and 'tell' in 90% of cases.
shuō (说) / gàosù (告诉)
Chinese 'shuō' can sometimes take a person as an object in casual speech.
Learning Path
Prerequisites
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