How to Say "tell" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “tell” is “di” — use 'di' when giving a direct, informal command to a friend (the 'tú' form) to say something..
di
/dee//di/
Examples
Di tu nombre, por favor.
Say your name, please.
¡Di la verdad ahora mismo!
Tell the truth right now!
Si no te gusta, di algo.
If you don't like it, say something.
Giving Friendly Commands
To tell a friend ('tú') to do something, you often use a special short verb form. 'Di' is the command 'say' or 'tell' from the verb 'decir'. It's one of a handful of very common short commands you'll just need to memorize.
Using 'Dice' Instead of 'Di'
Mistake: “Tú dice la verdad.”
Correction: Use '¡Di la verdad!'. When giving a direct command to a friend ('tú'), you need the special command form 'di', not the regular form 'dices'.
cuente
KWEN-teh/ˈkwen.te/
Examples
Espero que el guía nos cuente una leyenda local.
I hope the guide tells us a local legend.
No deje que le cuente chismes sobre la oficina.
Don't let him/her tell you gossip about the office.
¿Puede usted cuentarme su versión de la historia?
Can you (formal) tell me your version of the story?
Telling 'To Me'
When asking someone to tell you something, you must often attach the pronoun 'me' to the end of the command form ('Cuénteme') or place it before the conjugated verb ('Quiero que me cuente').
entere
/en-TEH-reh//enˈteɾe/
Examples
Señor, entere a sus empleados de la nueva política inmediatamente.
Sir, inform your employees of the new policy immediately.
No entere a nadie de mi llegada hasta mañana.
Do not inform anyone of my arrival until tomorrow.
Formal Commands
'Entere' is the formal way to tell someone ('Usted') to do something. It uses the same special form as the subjunctive, but functions as a direct order.
Informal vs. Formal Commands
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