gàosu: 告诉 - to tell, to inform

• Keywords: gaosu, 告诉, tell in Chinese, how to say tell, inform in Chinese, Chinese verb to tell, 告诉 vs 说, gaosu vs shuo, Chinese grammar tell, HSK 2 vocabulary.
• Summary: Learn how to use the essential Chinese verb 告诉 (gàosu), which means “to tell” or “to inform”. This guide provides a deep dive for beginners, explaining its core meaning, character origins, and crucial differences from similar words like `说 (shuō)`. With practical example sentences and cultural context, you'll understand how to correctly tell someone something in Mandarin Chinese.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): gàosu
• Part of Speech: Verb
• HSK Level: HSK 2
• Concise Definition: To tell a specific person some information; to inform.
• In a Nutshell: 告诉 (gàosu) is your go-to verb when you are conveying information to someone. The key feature of `告诉` is that it almost always includes both the person being told and the information being shared. Think of it as a direct transfer of information from Person A to Person B.

• 告 (gào): This character originally depicted a mouth (口) under an ox (牛), symbolizing a formal announcement or proclamation made to the public, like a town crier. Today, it simply means “to announce,” “to report,” or “to tell.”
• 诉 (sù): This character is composed of the “speech” radical (言) and a phonetic component (斥). It means “to relate,” “to narrate,” or even “to sue.” It implies telling a story or a sequence of events.
• Combined Meaning: The combination of “announcing” (告) and “narrating” (诉) creates the specific action of telling someone something. It's more direct than just speaking; it's about purposefully informing another person.

While 告诉 (gàosu) is a straightforward, functional verb, its usage touches upon the Chinese cultural dynamic of directness versus indirectness. In many Western cultures, especially American culture, direct communication (“Just tell me what you think”) is often valued for its efficiency and honesty. In Chinese culture, while `告诉` is used for direct communication every day, the decision *whether* to `告诉` someone something directly can be a delicate one. In situations involving criticism, sensitive topics, or refusing a request, a more indirect approach might be favored to preserve harmony (`和谐 héxié`) and give the other person “face” (`面子 miànzi`). For example, instead of directly telling a friend “I don't like your idea” (`我不喜欢你的想法`), a person might say something more nuanced like “We can think about it some more” (`我们可以再考虑一下`). So, while `告诉` is the tool for direct telling, knowing the cultural context helps you understand when it's most appropriate to use it. For a beginner, using `告诉` for factual information is always safe and expected.

告诉 (gàosu) is an extremely common verb used in all aspects of modern life. It's neutral in tone and can be used in both formal and informal contexts.

• Daily Conversation: It's used constantly among friends, family, and strangers for simple information exchange. “Tell me your name,” “He told me he's coming,” etc.
• Workplace & Business: It's used to inform colleagues, give instructions, or update a superior. For example, “Please tell me when the report is finished.” (`请告诉我报告什么时候完成。`)
• On Social Media & Texting: In its written form, it's used just as you would use “tell” in English texts. “快告诉我！” (kuài gàosu wǒ!) - “Quick, tell me!”

The key grammatical structure is always: `Subject + 告诉 + Person (Indirect Object) + Information (Direct Object)`

• Example 1:
  • 他告诉我一个秘密。
  • Pinyin: Tā gàosu wǒ yī gè mìmì.
  • English: He told me a secret.
  • Analysis: This is the classic structure: Subject (他) + 告诉 + Person (我) + Thing (一个秘密). It shows a direct transfer of information.
• Example 2:
  • 你能不能告诉我你的名字？
  • Pinyin: Nǐ néng bu néng gàosu wǒ nǐ de míngzi?
  • English: Can you tell me your name?
  • Analysis: A common and polite way to ask for information. `能不能` makes the question softer than just a command.
• Example 3:
  • 老师告诉我们明天要考试。
  • Pinyin: Lǎoshī gàosu wǒmen míngtiān yào kǎoshì.
  • English: The teacher told us we have a test tomorrow.
  • Analysis: Here, the “information” is a full clause (`明天要考试`). This is a very common usage pattern.
• Example 4:
  • 请告诉他我在这里等他。
  • Pinyin: Qǐng gàosu tā wǒ zài zhèlǐ děng tā.
  • English: Please tell him I am waiting for him here.
  • Analysis: `请 (qǐng)` makes this a polite request. The command is directed at the person you're speaking to, asking them to tell a third party (他).
• Example 5:
  • 我忘了告诉你，我今天会晚点回家。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ wàng le gàosu nǐ, wǒ jīntiān huì wǎndiǎn huíjiā.
  • English: I forgot to tell you that I'll be home late today.
  • Analysis: Shows `告诉` used with another verb, `忘了` (wàng le - to forget).
• Example 6:
  • 别告诉任何人这件事！
  • Pinyin: Bié gàosu rènhé rén zhè jiàn shì!
  • English: Don't tell anyone about this!
  • Analysis: A negative command using `别 (bié)`. `任何人 (rènhé rén)` means “anyone.”
• Example 7:
  • 是谁告诉你这个消息的？
  • Pinyin: Shì shéi gàosu nǐ zhège xiāoxi de?
  • English: Who told you this news?
  • Analysis: This uses the `是…的 (shì…de)` structure to emphasize the “who” (`谁 shéi`) in the question.
• Example 8:
  • 我早就想告诉你了。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ zǎo jiù xiǎng gàosu nǐ le.
  • English: I've been wanting to tell you for a long time.
  • Analysis: `早就…了 (zǎo jiù…le)` is a useful pattern meaning “long since” or “for a long time.”
• Example 9:
  • 他什么都没告诉我。
  • Pinyin: Tā shénme dōu méi gàosu wǒ.
  • English: He didn't tell me anything.
  • Analysis: Demonstrates the `什么都/也 + 不/没 (shénme dōu/yě + bù/méi)` structure for “not… anything.”
• Example 10:
  • 看他的表情，我就知道他想告诉我一些事情。
  • Pinyin: Kàn tā de biǎoqíng, wǒ jiù zhīdào tā xiǎng gàosu wǒ yīxiē shìqíng.
  • English: Looking at his expression, I knew he wanted to tell me something.
  • Analysis: This sentence shows a more complex thought process, where one action (looking at his expression) leads to a conclusion involving `告诉`.

The most common mistake for learners is confusing 告诉 (gàosu) with 说 (shuō).

• 告诉 (gàosu) requires a listener. You must specify who is being told.
  • Correct: 他告诉我他很累。(Tā gàosu wǒ tā hěn lèi.) - He told me he is tired.
  • INCORRECT: 他告诉他很累。(Tā gàosu tā hěn lèi.) - This is grammatically wrong unless you mean “He told him he is tired”. It's missing the listener from the context of “He said he is tired”.
• 说 (shuō) means “to speak” or “to say” and does not require a listener. It focuses on the content of what is said.
  • Correct: 他说他很累。(Tā shuō tā hěn lèi.) - He said he is tired.
  • INCORRECT: 他说我他很累。 - This is completely wrong. You cannot put a person (the listener) directly after `说` in this way.

Rule of Thumb:

• If you can replace the verb with “inform,” use 告诉 (gàosu).
• If you can replace the verb with “say” or “speak,” use 说 (shuō).

You can use `说` with a listener, but the structure is different: `Subject + 跟/对 + Person + 说` (Subject + gēn/duì + Person + shuō).

• Example: 他对我说他很累。(Tā duì wǒ shuō tā hěn lèi.) - He said to me that he is tired.
• This has the same meaning as: 他告诉我他很累。 (Tā gàosu wǒ tā hěn lèi.)

• 说 (shuō) - To say, to speak. The most general verb for speaking. `告诉` is a specific type of `说`.
• 通知 (tōngzhī) - To notify, to inform. More formal than `告诉`. Used for official announcements, like a company notifying employees of a new policy.
• 讲 (jiǎng) - To explain, to narrate, to give a speech. Implies a more detailed explanation or a one-way lecture.
• 提醒 (tíxǐng) - To remind. A specific type of “telling” that brings something already known back to someone's attention.
• 解释 (jiěshì) - To explain. Used when clarifying something that is misunderstood or complex.
• 表达 (biǎodá) - To express. Used for conveying feelings, opinions, or abstract ideas rather than simple facts.
• 汇报 (huìbào) - To report (to a superior). A very formal term used in a hierarchical context, like reporting progress to a boss.
• 透露 (tòulù) - To reveal, to disclose, to leak. Implies sharing information that was supposed to be secret or private.