tell

Compared meaning: express or share information in words (verb).

比较义项：用言语表达、传递信息（说、告诉、解释、交谈）（动词）。

• say

  Focuses on the exact words or message expressed, often followed by a direct quotation or a clause; it does not take a personal object (you cannot "say someone something").

  着重表达出的具体话语或内容，常接直接引语或从句；不能直接接人作宾语（不能说“say someone something”）。

  Did she say what time the meeting starts?

  她说会议几点开始了吗？

• explain

  Focuses on making something clear or understandable, often about reasons, methods or meanings; when a person is added, it needs "to" (explain something to someone).

  着重把某事讲清楚、讲明白，常涉及原因、方法或含义；如果要接人，必须用“to”（explain something to someone）。

  Can you explain how this machine works, please?

  你能解释一下这台机器是怎么运作的吗？

• tell 本词

  Requires a listener as a direct object; used for giving information, instructions or an account to a specific person, as in "tell me what happened".

  后面必须直接接人作宾语，用于把信息、指示或经过告诉某个具体的人，如“tell me what happened”（告诉我）。

  Please tell me what happened at the meeting.

  请告诉我会议上发生了什么事。

• talk

  Emphasizes a two-way conversation or exchange between people, usually with "to/with" and "about"; it is not normally followed directly by a piece of information.

  强调人与人之间的双向交流或对话，通常与“to/with”和“about”搭配；一般不直接接具体信息作宾语。

  We should talk about our plans for the weekend.

  我们应该谈谈周末的计划。

These four words mean giving information in words. Say focuses on the exact words spoken, with no person as object. Tell always needs a listener. Talk stresses a two-way conversation. Explain focuses on making something clear and understandable.

这四个词都表示“用言语表达或传递信息”，但语法结构和侧重点不同：say着重说出的内容本身，tell后面必须直接接听话人，talk强调双方来回的交谈过程，explain则着重把事情讲清楚、讲明白。中国学习者常因中文都译作“说/告诉”而混用这几个词的搭配方式，需要特别注意。

Compared meaning: to instruct someone to do something (verb).

比较义项：吩咐、命令某人做某事（动词）。

• tell 本词

  Neutral and very common; used for everyday instructions from anyone (a parent, teacher, friend), without necessarily implying formal authority or force.

  语气中性、非常常见；用于日常的吩咐，说话人（父母、老师、朋友等）不一定拥有正式权威或强制力。

  The teacher told the students to open their books to page ten.

  老师吩咐学生们把书翻到第十页。

• order

  Stronger and more authoritative; implies the speaker has power over the listener and expects strict obedience, often in military, official or urgent settings.

  语气更强、更具权威性；暗示说话人对听话人有支配权并要求严格服从，常见于军事、公务或紧急场合。

  The drill sergeant ordered the recruits to line up at once.

  教官命令新兵立刻列队。

Tell and order both mean to ask someone to do something. Tell is neutral and everyday, used by anyone. Order is stronger, implying the speaker has power and expects obedience, often in military settings. Order can also mean 'to request food'; not compared here.

这两个词都表示要求别人做某事，但语气强弱不同：tell 中性、日常，谁都可以用；order 带有权威色彩，语气更强硬，暗示说话人有支配地位并期待对方服从。此处不比较 order 表示“点餐、订购”的其他意义。

Compared meaning: to give an account of something (verb).

比较义项：讲述、叙述某事（动词）。

• tell 本词

  The most common, everyday word for giving someone an account; usually informal and takes a listener directly, as in 'tell someone something'; length and detail can vary widely.

  tell 是最常见、最口语化的词，指讲述给某个听者，语气随意，常用“tell someone something”的结构；讲述内容可长可短，没有固定形式。

  He told us exactly what happened during the storm last night.

  他把昨晚暴风雨期间发生的事情原原本本地告诉了我们。

• recount

  More formal or literary than tell; stresses describing an event in detail, often from personal experience, and needs 'to' before a listener rather than an indirect object.

  recount 比 tell 更正式、更书面，强调详细地描述一件事，常出自亲身经历，提到听者时要用“to”，而不能像 tell 那样直接接双宾语。

  She recounted every detail of the accident to the police officer.

  她向警察详细讲述了事故的每一个细节。

• recite

  Means to state facts or words from memory or a fixed list, in order, such as a poem or the facts of a case; not a spontaneous personal account.

  recite 指按固定顺序背诵或列举记住的内容，比如一首诗或案件事实，而不是即兴讲述亲身经历。

  The lawyer had to recite the facts of the case before the judge.

  律师必须在法官面前陈述这起案件的事实。

• narrate

  Means to give a spoken or written account of events as a story, often in a formal storytelling role, such as narrating a film or documentary.

  narrate 指以讲故事的方式对事件进行口头或书面叙述，常带有正式的讲述者角色，比如为电影或纪录片配音讲述。

  A calm voice narrated the events of the battle for the documentary.

  一个平静的声音为这部纪录片讲述了这场战役的经过。

Tell, recount, recite and narrate all mean to give an account of something. Tell is common and informal. Recount is more formal, with personal detail. Recite means saying fixed words from memory. Narrate means telling a story formally. Recount can mean 'counting votes'.

tell、recount、recite 和 narrate 在“叙述”这一义项上意思相近，但正式程度、句子结构和内容来源不同；recount 作名词时还有“重新计票”的意思（如选举重新计票），这里不作比较。

Compared meaning: recognize the difference between things (verb).

比较义项：分辨、识别不同事物之间的差异（动词）。

• tell 本词

  Informal and conversational; usually needs "apart" or "from" and cannot take "between" directly; common in everyday speech about visually similar things.

  该词口语化，日常表达；通常需搭配“apart”或“from”，一般不直接接“between”。

  I can't tell my twin cousins apart at family gatherings.

  我在家庭聚会上分不清我的双胞胎表亲。

• distinguish

  The standard, neutral verb for this sense; commonly used with "between" or "from" in both everyday and semi-formal contexts.

  该词是此义项中最中性、标准的用词；常与“between”或“from”搭配，适用于日常和较正式的语境。

  A good editor can distinguish between serious complaints and empty gossip.

  优秀的编辑能够区分严肃的投诉与无关紧要的闲言碎语。

• differentiate

  More formal and often technical or academic, frequently describing subtle or systematic differences, as in science, medicine or classification.

  该词更正式，常用于科学、医学或分类等技术性或学术性语境，强调对细微或系统性差异的辨别。

  Doctors use blood tests to differentiate between similar viral infections.

  医生通过血液检测来区分相似的病毒感染。

Tell, distinguish and differentiate all mean recognizing differences. Tell is informal, usually used with apart or from. Distinguish is the standard, neutral word, often used with between or from. Differentiate is more formal, often describing subtle or technical differences, as in science or medicine.

这三个词在“分辨、识别差异”这一意义上很接近，但正式程度和搭配不同：tell最口语化，常用“tell apart”或“tell X from Y”；distinguish是最中性、常用的说法；differentiate更正式，多用于科学、医学等技术性语境。这里不比较tell的“告诉、讲述”义（如“tell me a story”）。