TELL - Translation from English into Italian

English

Italian

I. tell <pt/pp told> [Brit tɛl, Am tɛl] VB trans

1. tell (give information):

tell person:

dire, riferire

tell manual, instruction:

dire, spiegare

tell gauge:

indicare

to tell sb sth, to tell sth to sb person:

dire qc a qn, informare qn di qc

to tell sb sth, to tell sth to sb map, instructions:

dire, indicare qc a qn

to tell sb how to do, what to do

spiegare a qn come fare, che cosa fare

she told him what had happened

gli raccontò che cosa era successo

she told him where to go

gli spiegò dove andare

he told me how unhappy he was

mi disse or mi confidò quanto era infelice

to tell the time clock:

segnare l'ora

to tell the time person:

leggere l'ora, dire l'ora

can you tell me the time please?

potresti, puoi dirmi l'ora per favore?

something tells me he won't come

qualcosa mi dice che non verrà

his behaviour tells us a lot about his character

il suo comportamento la dice lunga sul suo carattere

I can't tell you how happy I am to…

non sai quanto sia felice di…

I am pleased to tell you that …

sono lieto di annunciarvi che …

(I'll) tell you what, let's get a video out! inf

ho un'idea! E se affittassimo una videocassetta?

I told you so!

te l'avevo detto, io!

what did I tell you!

che cosa ti avevo detto?

you're telling me!

a chi lo dici!

don't tell me you've changed your mind!

non dirmi che hai cambiato idea!

you'll regret this, I can tell you!

te ne pentirai, te lo dico io!

it's true, I tell you!

ti dico che è vero!

I won't stand for it, I tell you!

sappi che non lo permetterò!

2. tell (narrate, recount):

tell joke, story

raccontare

to tell sb sth, to tell sth to sb

dire, raccontare qc a qn

to tell sb about or of sth

raccontare a qn di qc, raccontare qc a qn

from what the newspapers tell us, they're likely to lose the election

stando a quel che dicono i giornali, rischiano di perdere le elezioni

tell me all about it!

raccontami tutto!

tell me about it! iron

non me ne parlare!

tell me more about yourself

parlami ancora un po' di te

I told her the news

le ho raccontato le novità

their victims tell a different story

le loro vittime hanno una versione diversa della storia

he's very handsome - or so I've been told

è un gran bell'uomo - almeno, così mi hanno detto

“my life as a slave girl, ” as told to Celia Irving JOURN

“la mia vita di schiava, ” com'è stato raccontato a Celia Irving

I could tell you a thing or two about her!

potrei raccontarvi alcune cosette su di lei!

3. tell (ascertain, deduce):

you can, could tell (that)

si vede, si vedeva che

I, he can tell (that)

si vede (che)

who can tell what will happen next?

chi può dire, chissà che cosa succederà adesso?

you can tell a lot from the clothes people wear

si possono capire molte cose dal modo di vestire di una persona

I could tell that he was in love from the look in his eyes

gli si leggeva negli occhi che era innamorato

4. tell (distinguish):

tell

distinguere

to tell sb from sb

distinguere qn da qn

to tell sth from sth

distinguere qc da qc, vedere la differenza tra qc e qc

he can't tell right from wrong

non sa distinguere il bene dal male

can you tell the difference?

riuscite a vedere or sentire la differenza?

how can you tell which is which? or how can you tell them apart?

come si possono distinguere l'uno dall'altro?

the dog can tell him from his footsteps

il cane lo riconosce dal passo

5. tell (order):

tell

ordinare

tell

dire

to tell sb to do

dire, ordinare a qn di fare

to tell sb not to do

ordinare a qn di non fare

do as you are told!

fai quello che ti dicono!

she just won't be told!

si rifiuta di obbedire!

you can't tell me what to do!

non sta a te dirmi cosa devo fare!

he didn't need telling twice! Brit or he didn't need to be told twice!

non se l'è fatto dire due volte!

6. tell (count, enumerate):

tell arch

contare

tell arch

enumerare

to tell one's beads REL

dire or recitare il rosario

II. tell <pt/pp told> [Brit tɛl, Am tɛl] VB intr

1. tell (reveal secret):

promise me you won't tell!

promettimi di non dirlo

that would be telling!

non ti voglio rovinare la sorpresa!

2. tell (be evidence):

to tell of

rivelare, essere la prova di

the lines on his face told of years of hardship

i suoi lineamenti marcati erano la prova di anni di miseria

3. tell (know for certain):

tell

sapere

as or so far as I can tell

per quel che ne so

how can you tell?

come fai a dirlo or saperlo?

it's very hard to tell

è molto difficile a dirsi or a sapersi

you never can tell

non si sa mai or non si può mai dire

4. tell (produce an effect):

her age is beginning to tell

gli anni cominciano a farsi sentire

her inexperience told against her at the interview

al colloquio l'inesperienza giocò a suo sfavore

III. to tell oneself VB refl

to tell oneself <pt/pp told>:

to tell oneself

dirsi

to tell oneself

ripetere a se stesso (that che)

IV. tell [Brit tɛl, Am tɛl]

tell me another! inf

trovane un'altra! ma valla a raccontare a qualcun altro!

to tell sb where to get off or where he gets off inf

mandare qn a quel paese

you tell me!

a chi lo dici!

to tell it like it is

parlare chiaro

to tell the world about sth

dire qc ai quattro venti

don't tell the world about it!

non gridarlo ai quattro venti!

more than words can tell

più di quanto le parole possano dire

time (alone) will tell prov

chi vivrà vedrà

time will tell which of us is right

col tempo vedremo chi di noi due aveva ragione

to tell one's love arch, liter

dichiararsi, dichiarare il proprio amore

tell on VB [tɛl -] (tell on [sb])

1. tell on (reveal information about):

tell on person

denunciare (to a)

he's always telling on people!

fa sempre la spia!

2. tell on (have visible effect on):

the strain is beginning to tell on him

iniziano a farsi vedere su di lui i primi segni di fatica

her age is beginning to tell on her

sta incominciando a sentire il peso degli anni

tell off VB [tɛl -] (tell [sb] off) (scold)

tell off person

sgridare, riprendere

she got told off for leaving early, arriving late

è stata sgridata perché è andata via troppo presto, è arrivata in ritardo

to tell a tale

raccontare una storia

to tell a tale of woe (about oneself)

raccontare le proprie disgrazie

to tell a tale of woe (about others)

raccontare una storia triste

the figures tell the same, another tale

le cifre confermano la cosa, dicono tutt'altra cosa

the recent events tell their own tale

i recenti avvenimenti si commentano da soli

to spread or tell tales

sparlare (about sb di qn)

dead men tell no tales

i morti non parlano

to live to tell the tale

sopravvivere (per potere raccontare la propria esperienza)

to tell tales out of school

fare la spia

to tell or give sb a hard-luck story

raccontare a qn le proprie sventure

at the dinner table discuss, tell

a tavola

to tell fibs inf

(rac)contare balle, storie

Italian

English

novellare

to tell stories

novellare

to tell tales

narrare storia

to tell

narrare storia

to tell

narrare a qn di qc

to tell sb about or of sth

raccontare bubbole

to tell fibs

English

Italian

I. tell <told, told> [tel] VB trans

1. tell (say):

tell

dire

to tell sb of sth

informare qn di qc

to tell sb whether …

dire a qn se …

I told you so

te l'avevo detto, io

2. tell (narrate):

tell

raccontare

tell me another (one) inf

sparane un'altra

3. tell (command):

tell

ordinare

to tell sb to do sth

dire a qn di fare qc

do as you're told inf

fa come ti si dice

4. tell (make out):

tell

riconoscere

5. tell (distinguish):

tell

distinguere

to tell sth from sth

distinguere qc da qc

6. tell (know):

tell

sapere

there is no telling

non si sa

7. tell:

tell (count)

contare

tell (add up)

sommare

all told

in tutto

Phrases:

to tell it like it is inf

parlare chiaro

that would be telling

non posso dirtelo

you're telling me! inf

lo dici a me!

II. tell <told, told> [tel] VB intr

1. tell:

tell

parlare

to tell of sth/sb

parlare di qc/qn

2. tell (know):

tell

sapere

you never can tell

non si sa mai

how can I tell?

come faccio a saperlo?

who can tell?

chi può dirlo?

3. tell (have an effect):

tell

farsi sentire

tell on VB trans

to tell on sb

denunciare qn

tell off VB trans

tell off

rimproverare

to tell sb off for sth

rimproverare [o sgridare] qn per qc

tell apart VB trans

tell apart

distinguere

Italian

English

narrare (storia, leggenda)

to tell

narrare di qu/qc

to tell of sb/sth

fare una partaccia a qu

to tell sb off

sgridare qu

to tell sb off

raccontare -e

to tell jokes

rimbrottare

to tell off

non raccontare -e!

don't tell lies!

Present

I	tell
you	tell
he/she/it	tells
we	tell
you	tell
they	tell

Past

I	told
you	told
he/she/it	told
we	told
you	told
they	told

Present Perfect

I	have	told
you	have	told
he/she/it	has	told
we	have	told
you	have	told
they	have	told

Past Perfect

I	had	told
you	had	told
he/she/it	had	told
we	had	told
you	had	told
they	had	told

Monolingual examples (not verified by PONS Editors)

In this tale a huge she-wolf which controlled a mill had a habit of returning woman from time to time, taking off the skin.

en.wikipedia.org

Unlike works of high fantasy, the tales, though dramatic, focus mainly on personal battles rather than world-endangering matters.

en.wikipedia.org

Those favours vary by the tale, but tend to include youth, knowledge, wealth, or power.

en.wikipedia.org

At nights, tales are being told about him to children by their parents for them to go to sleep.

en.wikipedia.org

The script reveals the truth with lots of unexpected twists in the tale.

en.wikipedia.org