Tra từ tell - Từ điển Oxford Advanced Learner 8th

tell [tell tells told telling] BrE [tel] NAmE [tel] verb (told, toldBrE [təʊld] ; NAmE [toʊld] )

GIVE INFORMATION
1. transitive (of a person)to give information to sb by speaking or writing
•~ sth to sb He told the news to everybody he saw.
•~ sb sth He told everybody he saw the news.
•Did she tell you her name?
•What did I tell you? (= you should have listened to my advice)
•~ sb (about sth) Why wasn't I told about the accident?
•~ sb/yourself (that)… They've told us (that) they're not coming.
•I kept telling myself (that) everything was OK.
•Are you telling me you didn't have any help with this? (= I don't believe what you have said)
•~ sb where, what, etc… Tell me where you live.
•~ sb + speech ‘I'm ready to go now,’ he told her.
2. transitive (of some writing, an instrument, a sign, etc.)to give information about sth
•~ sb sth The advertisement told us very little about the product.
•~ sb how, where, etc… This gauge tells you how much fuel you have left.
•~ sb (that)… The sound of his breathing told her (that) he was asleep.

EXPRESS IN WORDS
3. transitive to express sth in words
•~ sth to tell stories/jokes/lies
• Are you sure you're telling the truth?
•~ sb how, what, etc… I can't tell you how happy I am.

SECRET
4. intransitive (informal)to let sb know a secret
•Promise you won't tell.
•‘Who are you going out with tonight?’ ‘ That would be telling!’ (= it's a secret)

ORDER
5. transitive to order or advise sb to do sth
•~ sb/yourself to do sth He was told to sit down and wait.
• There was a sign telling motorists to slow down.
•I kept telling myself to keep calm.
•~ sb sth Do what I tell you.
•~ sb Children must do as they're told.
•~ sb what, when, etc… Don't tell me what to do!
•~ sb (that)… The doctor told me (that) I should eat less fat.

KNOW/JUDGE
6. intransitive, transitive (not used in the progressive tenses)to know, see or judge sth correctly
• I think he's happy. It's hard to tell.
•As far as I can tell, she's enjoying the course.
•~ (that)… I could tell (that) he was angry from his expression.
•~ how, if, etc… ‘That's not an original.’ ‘How can you tell?’
•The only way to tell if you like something is by trying it.

DISTINGUISH
7. transitive (not used in the progressive tenses or in the passive)to distinguish one thing or person from another
•~ sth It was hard to tell the difference between the two versions.
•~ A from B Can you tell Tom from his twin brother?
•~ A and B apart It's difficult to tell them apart.
•~ which, what, etc… The kittens look exactly alike— how can you tell which is which?

HAVE EFFECT
8. intransitive ~ (on sb) to have an effect on sb/sth, especially a bad one
•The strain was beginning to tell on the rescue team.
more at hear tell of sth at ↑hear, kiss and tell at ↑kiss _v., a little bird told me at ↑little _adj., know/tell sb a thing or two (about sb/sth) at ↑thing, time (alone)only time will tell at ↑time _n., if (the) truth be known/told at ↑truth
Idioms: ↑I can tell you ▪ ↑I tell you ▪ ↑I tell you what ▪ ↑I told you ▪ ↑I'm telling you ▪ ↑all told ▪ ↑don't tell me ▪ ↑live to tell the tale ▪ ↑tell a different tale ▪ ↑tell its own tale ▪ ↑tell me ▪ ↑tell me about it ▪ ↑tell me another! ▪ ↑tell somebody what they can do with something ▪ ↑tell somebody where to get off they can get off ▪ ↑tell somebody where to put something ▪ ↑tell tales ▪ ↑tell the time ▪ ↑tell the truth ▪ ↑there's no telling ▪ ↑you can never tell ▪ ↑you never can tell ▪ ↑you're telling me!
Derived: ↑tell against somebody ▪ ↑tell of something ▪ ↑tell on somebody ▪ ↑tell somebody off
See also: ↑tell time
Verb forms:

Word Origin:
Old English tellan ‘relate, count, estimate’, of Germanic origin; related to German zählen ‘reckon, count’, erzählen ‘recount, relate’, also to ↑tale.

Synonyms:
order
tell • instruct • direct • command
These words all mean to use your position of authority to say to sb that they must do sth.
order • to use your position of authority to tell sb to do sth: ▪ The company was ordered to pay compensation to its former employee. ◇ ▪ ‘Come here at once!’ she ordered.
tell • to say to sb that they must or should do sth: ▪ He was told to sit down and wait. ◇ ▪ Don't tell me what to do!
instruct • (rather formal) to tell sb to do sth, especially in a formal or official way: ▪ The letter instructed him to report to headquarters immediately.
direct • (formal) to give an official order: ▪ The judge directed the jury to return a verdict of not guilty.
command • to use your position of authority to tell sb to do sth: ▪ He commanded his men to retreat.
order or command?
Order is a more general word than command and can be used about anyone in a position of authority, such as a parent, teacher or government telling sb to do sth. Command is slightly stronger than order and is the normal word to use about an army officer giving orders, or in any context where it is normal to give orders without any discussion about them. It is less likely to be used about a parent or teacher.
to order/tell/instruct/direct/command sb to do sth
to order/instruct/direct/command that…
to do sth as ordered/told/instructed/directed/commanded

Which Word?:
say / tell
Say never has a person as the object. You say something or say something to somebody. Say is often used when you are giving somebody’s exact words: ▪ ‘Sit down’, she said. ◇ ▪ Anne said, ‘I’m tired.’ ◇ ▪ Anne said (that) she was tired. ◇ ▪ What did he say to you? You cannot use ‘say about’, but say something about is correct: ▪ I want to say something /a few words /a little about my family. Say can also be used with a clause when the person you are talking to is not mentioned: ▪ She didn’t say what she intended to do.
Tell usually has a person as the object and often has two objects: ▪ Have you told him the news yet? It is often used with ‘that’ clauses: ▪ Anne told me (that) she was tired. Tell is usually used when somebody is giving facts or information, often with what, where, etc: ▪ Can you tell me when the movie starts? (BUT: ▪ Can you give me some information about the school?) Tell is also used when you are giving somebody instructions: ▪ The doctor told me to stay in bed. ◇ ▪ The doctor told me (that) I had to stay in bed. OR ▪ The doctor said (that) I had to stay in bed. NOT The doctor said me to stay in bed.

Example Bank:
•Can you tell this copy from the original?
•He told the story to all his friends.
•I could tell by his face that he was very angry.
•I couldn't tell the two brothers apart.
•I couldn't tell who was meant to be the chairman.
•I hate to tell you this but I've broken your phone.
•I hate to tell you, but the car's a write-off.
•I never told him about the money.
•I tried to tell them but they wouldn't let me.
•I was going to tell you— I just didn't get around to it.
•No one had told her of the dangers.
•She told me bluntly it was my own fault.
•The strain of looking after two elderly relatives is beginning to tell on him.
•‘I'm ready to go now,’ he told her.
•‘Who are you going out with tonight?’ ‘That would be telling!’
•Are you telling the truth?
•Did anyone tell you what happened?
•Do as you're told!
•Don't tell me what to do!
•Don't tell on me, will you?
•I can't tell one twin from the other.
•I can't tell you how happy I am.
•I specifically told you to be here on time.
•It's difficult to tell them apart.
•Promise you won't tell.
•She is always telling lies.
•The doctor told me (that) I should lose some weight.
•The kittens looked exactly alike— how could you tell which was which?
•They told stories and jokes while sitting around the camp fire.
•They've told us (that) they're not coming.
•Why wasn't I told about the accident?