告诉
Traditional: 告訴
gào su HSK 2

English Meaning

Categories

📚 Example Sentences

我告诉你。
Wǒ gàosu nǐ.
I tell you.
他告诉我了。
Tā gàosu wǒ le.
He told me.
妈妈告诉我。
Māma gàosu wǒ.
Mom tells me.
我会告诉你这个消息。
Wǒ huì gàosu nǐ zhège xiāoxi.
I will tell you the news.
她给孩子们讲故事。
Tā gěi háizimen jiǎng gùshi.
She tells stories to the children.

💡 Memory Tip

Think of 告 (gào) as 'to announce' and 诉 (sù) as 'to narrate'—combined, they mean 'to announce and narrate to someone,' i.e., 'to tell.'

📝 Usage Notes

This word is neutral in register and is used very commonly in both spoken and written Chinese. It is suitable for everyday conversations, instructions, and formal notifications. It typically follows the pattern: Subject + 告诉 + Person + Information.

📖 Grammar Points

Common structure: [Subject] + 告诉 + [Indirect Object (person)] + [Direct Object (information/clause)]. Example: 他告诉我一个故事。 (He told me a story.) The information can be a noun or a whole clause.

🏯 Cultural Notes

In Chinese communication, being direct in 'telling' something is common, but politeness markers like 请 (please) are often used in requests, e.g., 请告诉我 (please tell me).

🔄 Similar Words

Compared to 说 (shuō, 'to say'), which is more general for speaking, 告诉 specifically means 'to tell someone something.' 通知 (tōngzhī) is more formal, often used for official notices or announcements.

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