Say is used to report someone's words: * She said "I'm thirsty." * She said that she was thirsty. Say is followed by 'to' before the object: * Did she say that to you? Say is used to ask about languages : * How do you say 'water' in Spanish? We say : hello, goodbye, please, thank you, congratulations, Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, Happy Birthday! | Tell is used to inform or instruct : * Could you tell me the way to the station please? * Tell the children to go to bed! Tell is followed directly by the object : * Did she tell you her name? Tell is used for narration : * Tom is good at telling stories. We tell : the time, our name, the truth, lies, the difference between two things. |