Say vs Tell: The Difference and How to Use Both
Say vs Tell (say ও tell-এর পার্থক্য)
Introductionভূমিকা
'He said me' is one of the most common mistakes in Bangladeshi English, and it survives for years because the rule is never explained in one line. Here it is: you tell a person, and you say a thing.
'He said me' — বাংলাদেশি ইংরেজিতে সবচেয়ে বেশি হওয়া ভুলগুলোর একটা, আর এটা বছরের পর বছর টিকে থাকে কারণ নিয়মটা কেউ এক লাইনে বলে না। এই যে: tell-এর পরে মানুষ, say-এর পরে কথা।
Definitionসংজ্ঞা
'Tell' normally takes a person straight after it (tell me, tell him, tell your teacher). 'Say' does not — it goes straight to the words, and if you want to name the listener you add 'to' (say to me).
'Tell'-এর ঠিক পরে সাধারণত মানুষ বসে (tell me, tell him, tell your teacher)। 'Say'-এর পরে মানুষ বসে না — সরাসরি কথাটা বসে, আর শ্রোতার নাম বলতে চাইলে 'to' যোগ করতে হয় (say to me)।
Bangla Explanationবাংলা ব্যাখ্যা
সহজ সূত্র: **tell + মানুষ**, **say + কথা**। 'He told me the truth.' ✅ / 'He said the truth.' ✅ / 'He said me the truth.' ❌। শ্রোতার নাম say-এর সাথে বলতেই হলে 'to' লাগবে: 'He said to me…' — তবে এটা কম ব্যবহৃত, বেশিরভাগ সময় tell ব্যবহার করাই স্বাভাবিক। কিছু নির্দিষ্ট বাক্যাংশ আছে যেগুলো নিয়ম মানে না, মুখস্থ করে ফেলতে হয় — tell: tell a story, tell a lie, tell the truth, tell the time, tell a joke, tell the difference। say: say hello, say sorry, say a word, say your name, say a prayer। খেয়াল করুন, 'tell a lie' কিন্তু 'say sorry' — এখানে যুক্তি খুঁজতে যাবেন না, এগুলো অভ্যাসের ব্যাপার। আর আদেশ বা নির্দেশ বোঝাতে tell + কাউকে + to + ক্রিয়া: 'The teacher told us to sit down.'
Examplesউদাহরণ
- She told me she was coming late.সে আমাকে বলল, দেরিতে আসবে। (tell-এর পরে me — মানুষ)
- She said she was coming late.সে বলল, দেরিতে আসবে। (say-এর পরে সরাসরি কথা)
- He said to me, 'Wait outside.'সে আমাকে বলল, 'বাইরে অপেক্ষা করো।' (say + to + মানুষ)
- Please tell me the truth.দয়া করে আমাকে সত্যিটা বলুন। (নির্দিষ্ট বাক্যাংশ: tell the truth)
- Say sorry to your sister.বোনকে sorry বলো। (নির্দিষ্ট বাক্যাংশ: say sorry)
- The manager told us to come at nine.ম্যানেজার আমাদের নয়টায় আসতে বললেন। (নির্দেশ: tell + কাউকে + to + ক্রিয়া)
- Can you tell the difference between these two words?এই দুটো শব্দের পার্থক্য ধরতে পারেন? (tell the difference — 'বলা' নয়, 'বোঝা')
Common Mistakesসাধারণ ভুল
He said me that the office is closed.
He told me that the office is closed.
A person comes straight after 'tell', never straight after 'say'.
She told that she is busy.
She said that she is busy. / She told me that she is busy.
'Tell' needs to know who was told. Either name the person, or switch to 'say'.
Say me your name.
Tell me your name.
Same rule again — 'me' is a person, so the verb must be 'tell'.
He told a joke to me and then said me sorry.
He told me a joke and then said sorry.
'Tell a joke' and 'say sorry' are fixed phrases. Learn them as whole units rather than deriving them.
Tipsটিপস
- If the next word is a person (me, him, us, your father), use 'tell'. — পরের শব্দটা যদি মানুষ হয় (me, him, us, your father), তাহলে 'tell'।
- Memorise the fixed phrases as blocks: tell the truth, tell a lie, say sorry, say hello. — নির্দিষ্ট বাক্যাংশগুলো ব্লক ধরে মুখস্থ করুন: tell the truth, tell a lie, say sorry, say hello।
- For instructions, 'tell someone to do something' is the natural pattern. — নির্দেশ দিতে স্বাভাবিক গঠন হলো 'tell someone to do something'।
- In writing, 'said' is usually the safer choice for quotations: He said, 'I'll be there.' — লেখায় উদ্ধৃতির জন্য সাধারণত 'said' নিরাপদ: He said, 'I'll be there.'
Quizকুইজ
Tap an answer to check yourself — a free preview of the full graded quiz in the app.
1. Choose the correct sentence.
2. Fill in: She ___ that the shop was closed.
3. Which is a fixed phrase?
4. Fill in: The doctor ___ me to rest for a week.
Practiceঅনুশীলন
Try each one, then reveal the answer.
1. Correct: 'My friend said me about the exam.'
Hint: There is a person right after the verb.
2. Fill in: Please ___ hello to your mother.
Hint: It is a fixed phrase.
3. Rewrite using 'tell': He said to us that the class was cancelled.
Hint: 'Tell' takes the person without 'to'.
Related Lessonsসম্পর্কিত পাঠ
- Reported Speech (Indirect Speech)Reported speech (indirect speech) in Bangla and English: tense backshift, pronoun and time changes, reporting questions and commands, with examples and a quiz.
- Make vs Do: When to Use EachMake vs do explained for Bangla speakers: the rough rule, the lists you actually need to memorise, common mistakes like 'do a mistake' and a free quiz.
- Auxiliary Verbs (Be, Do, Have)Auxiliary verbs in Bangla and English: how be, do and have help build tenses, questions and negatives, with rules, examples, common mistakes and a free quiz.
AI Practiceএআই অনুশীলন
Practise this topic in a real conversation with your AI teacher — it asks questions, corrects you gently, and adapts to your level, all inside EnglishBD.
Practise with the AI teacher →Frequently Asked Questionsসাধারণ জিজ্ঞাসা
Can I ever use 'say' with a person?
Yes, with 'to': 'She said to me…'. It is correct but formal and less common in speech, where 'told me' is far more natural.
What about 'speak' and 'talk'?
Those two are about the act of speaking, not the words: 'speak to someone', 'talk about something'. 'Say' and 'tell' are about the content.
Is 'tell' always about words?
No — 'tell the difference' and 'tell the time' mean recognise and read, not speak. They are among the fixed phrases worth memorising.
Which is right in reported speech?
Both work: 'He said he was tired' or 'He told me he was tired'. The choice depends only on whether you name the listener.