telling in the Oxford Spanish Dictionary

Translations for telling in the English»Spanish Dictionary

I.telling [Am ˈtɛlɪŋ, Brit ˈtɛlɪŋ] ADJ

1. telling (effective):

telling criticism/argument

contundente

telling blow

certero

telling blow

bien asestado

2. telling (revealing):

telling sign/remark

revelador

telling sign/remark

elocuente

II.telling [Am ˈtɛlɪŋ, Brit ˈtɛlɪŋ] N U

telling

narración f

telling

relato m

telling-off [Am ˈtɛlɪŋɔf, Brit] N inf no pl

telling-off

reprimenda f

telling-off

regaño m esp LatAm

telling-off

regañina f esp Spain

telling-off

reto m CSur

to give sb a telling-off

regañar a alguien

to give sb a telling-off

retar a alguien CSur

to give sb a telling-off

rezongar a alguien AmC Urug

fortune telling [ˈfɔrtʃən ˌtɛlɪŋ] N

fortune telling

la adivinación del futuro

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

1. tell (inform, reveal):

tell

decir

to tell sb the truth/a lie

decirle la verdad/una mentira a alguien

as I was telling you

como te estaba or iba diciendo

I don't know how to tell you this but …

no sé cómo decírtelo, pero …

don't tell me, let me guess

no me lo digas, a ver si adivino

I've been told that …

me han dicho que …

he was told that …

le dijeron que …

could you tell me the way to the station?

¿me podría decir or indicar cómo se llega a la estación?

I'll tell him you are here

le diré que ha llegado

I'll tell him what happened

le diré or contaré qué pasó

tell me when you've finished

dime or avísame cuando hayas terminado

I am pleased to be able to tell you that … (in letters)

me complace comunicarle or informarle que …

it's not easy, let me tell you

no es fácil, te lo aseguro or garantizo

I tell you what: why don't we write to her? inf

se me ocurre una idea: ¿por qué no le escribimos?

you're telling me! inf

¡me lo vas a decir a mí!

she won't be told

no le hace caso a nadie

she won't be told

no hay quien la haga entrar en razón

I told you so!

¿no te lo dije?

I can't tell you how relieved I am!

¡no te imaginas el alivio que siento!

2. tell (recount, relate):

tell joke/tale

contar

tell me a story

cuéntame un cuento

he tells it like it is inf

cuenta or dice las cosas como son

the poem tells how …

el poema cuenta cómo …

the poem tells how …

el poema narra cómo … form

the poem tells how …

el poema relata cómo … form

to tell sb about sb/sth she's told me all about you

me ha hablado mucho de ti

tell us about Lima

cuéntanos cómo es Lima (or qué tal te fue en Lima etc.)

have you told him about us?

¿le has contado lo nuestro?

3. tell (instruct, warn):

tell

decir

do as or what you're told

haz lo que se te dice

I won't tell you again

no te lo voy a volver a repetir

no-one told me what to do

nadie me dijo qué or lo que tenía que hacer

to tell sb to + infin

decirle a alguien que  +  subj

tell them to come in

diles que pasen

she told me to be quiet

me dijo que me callara

I told you not to do that!

¡te dije que no hicieras eso!

4.1. tell (ascertain, know):

it's difficult to tell her age

es difícil calcularle la edad

I can't tell the exact width

no sabría decir qué ancho tiene exactamente

I could tell from her voice that she was upset

por la voz me di cuenta de que estaba disgustada

I can't tell the difference

yo no veo or no noto ninguna diferencia

you can tell by their clothes that they're French

por la ropa se nota que son franceses

there's no telling what might happen

no se sabe lo que podría ocurrir

to be able to tell the time

saber decir la hora

4.2. tell (distinguish):

tell

distinguir

to tell sth/sb from sth/sb

distinguir algo/a alguien de algo/alguien

it's hard to tell one twin from the other

es difícil distinguir a un mellizo del otro

you can always tell a Rubens

un Rubens es fácil de reconocer

to tell right from wrong

discriminar entre lo que está bien y lo que está mal

5. tell (count):

to tell one's beads

rezar el rosario

all told

en total

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

1.1. tell (reveal):

only he knows the answer and he's not telling

solo él sabe la respuesta, pero no se la va a decir a nadie

ah, that would be telling

ah, eso es un secreto

promise you won't tell?

¿prometes que no se lo vas a contar or decir a nadie?

to tell on sb (to sb) inf he told on us to the teacher

le fue con el chisme or cuento al profesor inf

to tell on sb (to sb) inf he told on us to the teacher

se chivó al profesor Spain inf

to tell on sb (to sb) inf he told on us to the teacher

le fue a alcahuetear al profesor CSur inf

don't tell on us!

¡no nos descubras!

1.2. tell (relate) liter:

more than words can tell

más de lo que pueden expresar las palabras

to tell of sth

hablar de algo

it tells of great suffering

habla de grandes sufrimientos

2. tell (know, work out):

tell

saber

who can tell!

¡quién sabe!

you never can tell

nunca se sabe

3. tell (count, have an effect):

breeding tells

la buena educación siempre se nota

he made every punch tell

hizo contar cada golpe

his influence told

su influencia fue decisiva

her age is beginning to tell

se le está empezando a notar la edad

to tell against sb/sth

obrar en contra de alguien/algo

to tell on sb/sth the strain is beginning to tell on him

la tensión lo está empezando a afectar

tell apart VB [Am tɛl -, Brit tɛl -] (v + o + adv)

tell apart

distinguir

can you tell them apart?

¿los puedes distinguir (el uno del otro)?

can you tell them apart?

¿sabes decir cuál es cuál?

tell off VB [Am tɛl -, Brit tɛl -] (v + o + adv, v + adv + o)

1. tell off (scold):

tell off

regañar

tell off

reñir esp Spain

tell off

retar CSur

tell off

resondrar Peru

tell off

rezongar AmC Urug

2. tell off MIL:

to tell sb off for sth/to + infin

destacar a alguien para algo/ +infin

kiss-and-tell [Am ˌkɪsənˈtɛl, Brit ˌkɪs(ə)nˈtɛl] ADJ

kiss-and-tell book/story:

kiss-and-tell

en que el autor revela su vida íntima con una celebridad

show-and-tell [Am ˈˌʃoʊ ən ˈtɛl, Brit] N U Am

show-and-tell

actividad escolar que consiste en llevar objetos a la escuela y hablar acerca de ellos

Translations for telling in the Spanish»English Dictionary

Your search term in other parts of the dictionary

rezongo

telling-off inf

diciente

telling

telling in the PONS Dictionary

Translations for telling in the English»Spanish Dictionary

I.telling [ˈtelɪŋ] ADJ

1. telling (revealing):

telling

revelador(a)

2. telling (significant):

telling

contundente

II.telling [ˈtelɪŋ] N

telling

narración f

telling-off <tellings-off> [ˈtelɪŋˈɒf, Am ˌtelɪŋˈɑ:f] N

telling-off

bronca f

to give sb a telling-off for (doing) sth

echar una bronca a alguien por (hacer) algo

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

1. tell (say):

tell

decir

to tell sb of sth

comunicar algo a alguien

to tell sb whether ...

informar a alguien de si...

I told you so

te avisé

2. tell (narrate):

tell

contar

tell me another (one) inf

cuéntame otra

3. tell (command):

tell

mandar

to tell sb to do sth

ordenar a alguien hacer algo

do as you're told inf

haz lo que te mandan

4. tell (make out):

tell

reconocer

5. tell (distinguish):

tell

distinguir

to tell sth from sth

distinguir algo de algo

6. tell (know):

tell

saber

there is no telling

no hay manera de saberlo

7. tell:

tell (count)

contar

tell (add up)

sumar

all told

en total

Phrases:

to tell it like it is inf

decir las cosas claras

that would be telling

eso podría ser cierto

you're telling me! inf

¡a mí me lo vas a contar!

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

1. tell:

tell

hablar

to tell of sth/sb

hablar de algo/alguien

2. tell (know):

tell

saber

you never can tell

nunca se sabe

how can I tell?

¡yo qué se!

who can tell?

¿quién sabe?

3. tell (have an effect):

tell

tener efecto

tell on VB trans

to tell on sb

chivarse de alguien

tell apart VB trans

tell apart

distinguir

tell against VB trans Brit

to tell against sb/sth

obrar en contra de alguien/algo

tell off VB trans

tell off

regañar

to tell sb off for sth

reñir a alguien por algo

Translations for telling in the Spanish»English Dictionary

Your search term in other parts of the dictionary

felpa

telling-off

dar [o pegar] un sosegate a alguien

to give sb a telling-off

regañina

telling off

echar una regañina a alguien

to tell sb off

echar una regañina a alguien

to give sb a telling off

telling Examples from the PONS Dictionary (editorially verified)

there is no telling

no hay manera de saberlo

that would be telling

eso podría ser cierto

you're telling me! inf

¡a mí me lo vas a contar!

to give sb a telling-off for (doing) sth

echar una bronca a alguien por (hacer) algo

to give sb a telling-off for sth

echar un trepe a alguien por algo

to give sb a real telling-off

meter un paquete a alguien (reprender)

to give sb a telling off

echar una regañina a alguien

to give sb a good telling off

cardar la lana a alguien

I believe he's not telling the truth

yo estoy en que él no dice la verdad

to give sb a good telling off

poner a alguien como un trapo

Monolingual examples (not verified by PONS Editors)

English

Then, he asked me to move his sickbed closer to the window, where he would be able to hear what they were telling him.

www.vanguardngr.com

Eliciting sympathy by telling exaggerated stories about bad deeds of other people (e.g. during gossip).

en.wikipedia.org

This grammatical form is especially used when telling jokes, or narrating stories.

en.wikipedia.org

He was known as a clever dodger in the open who used his hands with telling effect in warding off tacklers.

en.wikipedia.org

A medieval dramatic troupe's performances of mystery plays provide the unifying motif for a parallel telling of the story of the film.

en.wikipedia.org

Several researchers continued to conduct interviews, looking for telling details to further enrich particular aspects of the story.

en.wikipedia.org

For an hour every night she stands on stage telling jokes wearing a white babydoll nightie and white high heels.

www.independent.co.uk

Kye can be heard telling his companion to quieten down so that they are not seen by the clowns.

www.somersetlive.co.uk

It is marketed as being quietly enchanting and including a wandering country charm and all of the story-telling seductiveness of earlier work.

en.wikipedia.org

I think, if the visual action is telling the story, then you don't need to verbalise it.

www.denofgeek.com