v.
to tell; to inform
告诉
to tell; to inform
To tell, inform, or notify (告 report + 诉 declare); say 告诉我 (tell me), placing the listener directly after the verb.
Common Usage & Traps
- 告诉我 — tell me
- 告诉朋友 — tell a friend
- 告诉他这件事 — tell him about this
- 别告诉他 — don't tell him
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告诉一个故事讲一个故事告诉 only passes along information. Stories, jokes and tales are performed, and that verb is 讲 (or 说).
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告诉这件事他告诉他这件事The human receiver comes right after 告诉. The news never jumps the line in front of the person.
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他告诉明天开会他告诉我明天开会说 can run without a person, 告诉 cannot. Skip the receiver and the sentence collapses.
Can you say 告诉我一个故事 for "tell me a story"?
No. 告诉 only hands over information; stories and jokes need 讲 or 说.
English "tell" covers two very different jobs: passing along facts and narrating a tale. Chinese splits them cleanly. 告诉 means to inform someone of something, so whatever follows it is a fact, a plan or a secret. A story is a performance, and that verb is 讲. So 告诉我一个故事 sounds like you are handing someone a lump of data. Say 给我讲一个故事 instead.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Sharing a fact | 他告诉我明天不上班。 | 他讲我明天不上班。 |
| Telling a story | 给我讲个故事。 | 告诉我一个故事。 |
| Telling a joke | 他讲了个笑话，特别好。 | 他告诉我一个笑话，特别好。 |
Does 告诉 always need a person right after it?
Yes. 告诉 wants a human receiver first, then the news.
告诉 runs on a strict order: the verb, then the person, then what was said. That person can be a pronoun or a name, but it cannot be skipped, even though 说 works fine all by itself. The content after the person can be a short phrase or a whole sentence, and it lands with no pause and no extra 说. English allows "he told the news to me", Chinese only accepts the other shape.
“前天有个朋友告诉我，要想了解老北京的文化，应该去老茶馆喝一次"大碗儿茶"。” (The day before yesterday, a friend told me that if you want to understand old Beijing culture, you should go to a traditional teahouse and try "big bowl tea" at least once.)
“前天有个朋友告诉我，要想了解老北京的文化，应该去老茶馆喝一次"大碗儿茶"。” (The day before yesterday, a friend told me that if you want to understand old Beijing culture, you should go to a traditional teahouse and try "big bowl tea" at least once.)
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Order | 告诉我这件事。 | 告诉这件事我。 |
| Person cannot be dropped | 他告诉我他下周去北京。 | 他告诉下周去北京。 |
| Content can be dropped | 他昨天告诉我了。 | 他昨天告诉了这件事。 |
Why does 我告诉你 land harder than you expect?
我告诉你 usually opens a warning, so casual news can sound aggressive.
Chinese speakers do use 我告诉你, but it carries weight. It is the go-to opener for a serious warning, an ultimatum, or a pointed piece of advice. Use it to casually share gossip at lunch and people will tense up, waiting for the catch. For everyday updates, natives reach for 我跟你说 instead.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Casual update to a friend | 我跟你说，楼下那家店关门了。 | 我告诉你，楼下那家店关门了。 |
| Serious warning | 我告诉你，别再动我的东西。 | 我跟你说，别再动我的东西。 |
Appears in Stories 2 stories
Real context sentences across different daily scenarios and graded readings.
Discover how a simple letter from a cookie seller led to an unexpected friendship with a famous scholar. This heartwarming story explores kindness and connection across social divides.
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元真 告诉 胡之适说，他的鼻子里也长了一个差不多的东西。
Ever wondered where old Beijing's tea-drinking culture has gone? Follow a visitor discovering why locals now avoid famous tea houses—and practice expressing surprise and comparisons in Chinese along the way.
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前天有个朋友 告诉 我，要想了解老北京的文化，应该去老茶馆喝一次"大碗儿茶"。
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