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Say ou tell : dire en anglais

Fiche à imprimer : le cours, les trois exercices et le corrigé (sur une page à part). Revenir au cours en ligne

« Dire » se traduit par say ou par tell. La différence est surtout une question de construction.

Say : dire quelque chose

Say est suivi de ce qui est dit. Si on précise à qui, on ajoute to.

She said goodbye. He said something to me.
Elle a dit au revoir. Il m'a dit quelque chose.
“I'm tired,” she said.
« Je suis fatiguée », dit-elle.

Tell : dire à quelqu'un

Tell est presque toujours suivi de la personne à qui l'on parle, sans préposition.

He told me a secret. (et non He said me)
Il m'a dit un secret.
Tell your sister to come.
Dis à ta sœur de venir.

Au discours indirect

SayTell
She said (that) she was tired.She told me (that) she was tired.
He said he would come.He told us he would come.
—She told me to wait. (ordre : tell + personne + to)

Les expressions toutes faites

Avec sayAvec tell
say hello / goodbyetell the truth (dire la vérité)
say yes / notell a lie (mentir)
say sorry / thank youtell a story / a joke (raconter)
say a wordtell the time (lire l'heure)
say a prayertell the difference (faire la différence)

À retenir

  • Say + ce qui est dit (say something / say it to someone).
  • Tell + la personne (tell me, tell your friends).
  • Ordre : tell someone to do something.
  • Tell the truth, tell a lie, tell a story ; say hello, say sorry.
  • Passé : say → said, tell → told.

Exercice 1 : Say ou tell : exercice 1 (QCM)

  1. Can you ___ me the way to the station?
    1. say
    2. tell
  2. She ___ goodbye and left.
    1. said
    2. told
  3. He ___ me a funny story.
    1. told
    2. said
  4. Always ___ the truth!
    1. say
    2. tell
  5. What did you ___? I didn't hear.
    1. say
    2. tell
  6. The teacher ___ us to be quiet.
    1. said
    2. told
  7. Don't forget to ___ thank you.
    1. say
    2. tell
  8. He ___ that he was hungry.
    1. said
    2. told
  9. « Il m'a dit qu'il viendrait. »
    1. He told to me he would come.
    2. He told me he would come.
    3. He said me he would come.
  10. « Elle ment. »
    1. She is telling a lie.
    2. She is telling lie.
    3. She is saying a lie.

Exercice 2 : Say ou tell : exercice 2 (à compléter)

  1. My grandmother always .......................... us stories about her childhood.
  2. "I'm sorry," he .......................... .
  3. Did she .......................... you her name?
  4. I can't .......................... the difference between the two twins.
  5. Nobody .......................... a word during the film.
  6. Mum .......................... me to tidy my room.
  7. You should .......................... hello to the neighbours.
  8. He .......................... us a joke, but nobody laughed.
  9. She .......................... that she lived in London.
  10. Please .......................... me what happened.

Corrigé

Exercice 1

1. b) tell · 2. a) said · 3. a) told · 4. b) tell · 5. a) say · 6. b) told · 7. a) say · 8. a) said · 9. b) He told me he would come. · 10. a) She is telling a lie.

Exercice 2

1. tells · 2. said · 3. tell · 4. tell · 5. said · 6. told · 7. say · 8. told · 9. said · 10. tell