Dire is the most common and versatile way to say “to tell” in French. But as you expand your vocabulary, you’ll discover that French, much like English, offers a rich array of verbs to convey different nuances of "telling" or "saying."Whether you’re recounting a story, giving instructions, or sharing a secret, choosing the right verb can make your French sound much more natural and precise.Let’s explore 9 different ways to say “to tell” in French, helping you master the art of conversation with greater accuracy and flair!

The most common ‘to tell’ – dire

Dire is the most fundamental and frequently used verb in French for both “to say” and “to tell”. It is essential for reporting speech and conveying information.

As a highly common verb, dire is irregular. Its present tense forms are: je dis tu dis il/elle/on dit nous disons vous dites ils/elles disent

Dire is primarily used to convey what is being said or told. It can introduce direct speech (e.g., Il a dit: "Bonjour!") or indirect speech (e.g., Elle a dit qu'elle viendrait).

To specify to whom something is said or told, dire is typically followed by the preposition à and an indirect object (e.g., dire à quelqu'un). For instance, Je te dis la vérité means "I'm telling you the truth."

Dire forms part of many useful French expressions, such as dire bonjour (to say hello), dire merci (to say thank you), dire au revoir (to say goodbye), and dire la vérité (to tell the truth).

While both relate to verbal communication, dire focuses on the content or message conveyed, whereas parler (to speak) emphasizes the act of speaking or the language used. You dis words, but you parles with someone or parles a language.

Dire is an incredibly versatile and indispensable verb in French. Its broad application, from simple statements to complex narratives, makes it central to effective communication in everyday life.

💡 * Je te dis la vérité. (I'm telling you the truth.)

• Elle a dit qu'elle était fatiguée. (She said that she was tired.)
• Nous disons toujours bonjour à nos voisins. (We always say hello to our neighbors.)
• Qu'est-ce que tu as dit ? (What did you say?)
• Ils nous ont dit de les attendre. (They told us to wait for them.)

To tell a story/narrate – raconter

To tell a story/narrate – raconter

When you want to express the idea of 'to tell a story' or 'to narrate' something in French, the verb to use is raconter.

Unlike verbs like dire (to say) or parler (to speak), raconter specifically implies the act of recounting events, sharing details, or telling a narrative. It's often followed by what is being told, such as a story, a joke, or an experience.

You'll frequently hear phrases like raconter une histoire (to tell a story), raconter un mensonge (to tell a lie), or raconter sa journée (to talk about one's day/recount one's day).

Raconter is a regular -ER verb, making its conjugation straightforward. It typically takes a direct object, meaning you 'raconter something' (e.g., Je raconte une blague - I'm telling a joke).

💡 * Je raconte une histoire. (I am telling a story.)

• Elle m'a raconté son voyage. (She told me about her trip.)
• Peux-tu nous raconter ce qui s'est passé ? (Can you tell us what happened?)
• Ne raconte pas de mensonges. (Don't tell lies.)

To tell a secret/confide – confier

The verb confier is the primary way to express 'to tell a secret' or 'to confide' in French. It implies a sense of trust and intimacy.

At its heart, confier is about entrusting something to someone. It's closely related to the French noun la confiance (trust), highlighting the core meaning.

When you want to specifically say 'to tell a secret,' you use confier with the secret as its direct object. For example, confier un secret (to confide a secret).

To specify in whom you are confiding, you use the preposition à followed by the person. So, confier quelque chose à quelqu'un means 'to confide something to someone'.

The reflexive form, se confier, means 'to confide in someone' (without necessarily stating the secret directly), emphasizing the act of opening up to a person. It is often followed by à + person.

Confier can also have a broader meaning of 'to entrust' or 'to hand over' something or someone to another's care, extending beyond just secrets to responsibilities, tasks, or even children.

💡 *Je lui ai confié un secret. (I confided a secret in him/her.)
*Elle se confie souvent à sa meilleure amie. (She often confides in her best friend.)
*Il a confié ses enfants à ses parents pour le week-end. (He entrusted his children to his parents for the weekend.)
*Ne confie pas tes problèmes à n'importe qui. (Don't confide your problems in just anyone.)
*Puis-je te confier une chose ? (Can I confide something in you?)

To tell/inform someone – informer

The verb informer is a key French verb used to convey the act of telling or informing someone about something.

Informer translates directly to “to inform” or “to tell” in English. It implies conveying facts, news, or details to someone, often with a slightly more formal tone than dire (to say).

When using informer, you typically inform someone (direct object) of something (introduced by de) or that something is happening (introduced by que). For example, informer quelqu’un de quelque chose or informer quelqu’un que....

Informer is commonly used in official, professional, or news contexts. It emphasizes the transmission of knowledge or facts, making it suitable for situations where clarity and precision are important.

💡 *Je dois informer mes parents de mon départ. (I need to inform my parents of my departure.)
*Le journaliste a informé le public des dernières nouvelles. (The journalist informed the public of the latest news.)
*Veuillez nous informer de tout changement. (Please inform us of any changes.)
*Elle m'a informé qu'elle ne viendrait pas. (She informed me that she wouldn't come.)
*Nous vous informerons dès que possible. (We will inform you as soon as possible.)

To tell/warn someone – prévenir

The verb prévenir is a versatile French verb that can mean 'to warn' or 'to inform someone in advance'.

Its most common usage is 'to warn' someone about a potential danger, problem, or upcoming event. It carries a sense of caution and foresight.

Beyond warnings, prévenir also means 'to inform' or 'to notify' someone before an event or situation occurs. This implies giving someone a heads-up or advance notice.

Prévenir is conjugated like a regular -ir verb in the present tense (e.g., je préviens, tu préviens). Its past participle is prévenu (masculine singular), used with avoir in compound tenses.

When informing or warning someone of something, you'll often see the construction prévenir quelqu'un de quelque chose. For instance, Je te préviens du danger (I'm warning you of the danger).

The key nuance with prévenir is the idea of acting beforehand or providing information that allows someone to anticipate or prepare. It's about proactive communication.

💡 * Il faut prévenir les secours immédiatement. (We must warn/notify emergency services immediately.)

• Je t'avais prévenu qu'il serait en retard. (I had warned you he would be late.)
• N'oubliez pas de prévenir vos parents de votre arrivée. (Don't forget to inform your parents of your arrival.)
• Elle m'a prévenu de son départ en avance. (She informed me of her departure in advance.)
• Nous devons prévenir nos voisins du bruit. (We must warn our neighbors about the noise.)

To tell/advise someone – conseiller

The French verb conseiller primarily means “to advise” or “to counsel.” It is used when you are giving guidance, recommendations, or suggestions to someone about what they should do or think. It's not just about conveying information, but about offering a perspective or a course of action.

When you advise someone, conseiller is generally followed by an indirect object pronoun (me, te, lui, nous, vous, leur) or by à + person. For example, Je te conseille (I advise you) or Je conseille à mon ami (I advise my friend). This structure emphasizes who is receiving the advice.

While both conseiller and dire can involve communicating information, dire simply means “to tell” or “to say” (e.g., Je te dis la vérité – I’m telling you the truth). Conseiller, on the other hand, always implies an element of counsel or recommendation, aiming to influence a decision or action.

You’ll frequently hear conseiller in contexts related to health, career, travel, or personal decisions. For instance, a doctor might conseiller a patient to rest, or a friend might conseiller a good restaurant. It's a versatile verb for offering helpful input.

💡 * Je te conseille de prendre le train. (I advise you to take the train.)

• Elle m'a conseillé de parler au professeur. (She advised me to talk to the professor.)
• Nous leur conseillons de ne pas y aller. (We advise them not to go there.)
• Que me conseillez-vous de faire ? (What do you advise me to do?)
• Mon avocat m'a conseillé la prudence. (My lawyer advised me to be cautious.)

To tell/reveal something – révéler

The French verb révéler translates directly to "to reveal," "to disclose," or "to unveil" something. It implies bringing something previously hidden, unknown, or secret into the open.

Unlike the more general verb dire (to say, to tell), révéler carries a stronger implication of making a discovery or exposing a truth. It's used when information that was not public or was deliberately kept secret is brought to light.

You'll often encounter révéler when talking about revealing a secret (révéler un secret), revealing the truth (révéler la vérité), or disclosing results, identities, or hidden feelings. It suggests an act of making manifest what was latent.

💡 * Il a révélé la vérité sur l'affaire. (He revealed the truth about the matter.)

• Elle a révélé ses sentiments profonds pour lui. (She revealed her deep feelings for him.)
• Les analyses ont révélé la présence de contaminants. (The analyses revealed the presence of contaminants.)
• Ne révèle jamais ton mot de passe à personne. (Never reveal your password to anyone.)
• Le film révèle un aspect méconnu de l'histoire. (The film reveals a little-known aspect of history.)

To tell/report something – rapporter

The verb rapporter in French is a versatile verb primarily meaning "to tell" or "to report" something.

This verb is frequently used when you're relaying information, news, or a conversation you've heard or witnessed. It implies passing on details from a source.

Beyond reporting, rapporter also commonly means "to bring back" or "to take back" an object. The context usually clarifies whether it refers to information or a physical item.

While dire means "to say," rapporter often carries the nuance of recounting, repeating, or bringing back a story, news, or object. It can sometimes imply gossip when referring to information.

💡 * Il a rapporté toutes les conversations qu'il avait entendues. (He reported all the conversations he had heard.)

• N'oublie pas de rapporter les clés après le travail. (Don't forget to bring back the keys after work.)
• Elle a rapporté la nouvelle à ses parents. (She reported the news to her parents.)
• C'est un enfant qui rapporte tout à sa maîtresse. (He's a child who tells his teacher everything.)

2. To tell/declare something – déclarer

The French verb déclarer translates to “to declare,” “to state,” or “to announce.” It signifies making something known, often in a formal or public manner, or with a certain degree of importance.

Déclarer is frequently used in official and administrative contexts. You would use it to declare your income (déclarer ses revenus), declare an accident (déclarer un accident), or declare a new business (déclarer une entreprise). It emphasizes a formal statement or registration.

While often formal, déclarer also applies to significant personal declarations. For example, to declare one's love is déclarer son amour or déclarer sa flamme. It conveys a strong, explicit statement of feeling or intention.

💡 *Je dois déclarer mes impôts avant la fin du mois. (I have to declare my taxes before the end of the month.)
*Il a déclaré son amour pour elle en public. (He declared his love for her in public.)
*La compagnie a déclaré des pertes importantes cette année. (The company declared significant losses this year.)
*Vous devez déclarer tous les objets de valeur à la douane. (You must declare all valuable items at customs.)
*Le président a déclaré l'état d'urgence. (The president declared a state of emergency.)

Are there other ways to say 'to tell' in French?

Are there other ways to say “to tell” in French?

Our list features the most common ways to say “to tell” in French, like dire. But the French language is rich with nuances, and there are many other verbs and expressions, from formal to regional to slang, to convey the act of telling, informing, or recounting.

You can also do an online search for “comment dire raconter en ___” or “comment exprimer informer en ___” followed by a specific Francophone country or region to discover local variations.

You might find some interesting synonyms or idiomatic expressions for dire on various lists. Of course, always make sure to check a word’s definition and try to see it used in context before you use it yourself.

Pay attention as you read, watch, and listen to things in French — you may discover different verbs and phrases used to talk about telling, narrating, or informing.

And if you’re looking for more ways to express 'to tell' or related concepts like 'to narrate' or 'to inform' in French, the WordReference entries for dire, raconter, and informer are great places to start!

I hope you found this article helpful. Here’s a thought from Antoine de Saint-Exupéry that beautifully reflects on communication: “Le langage est la source de malentendus.” (Language is the source of misunderstandings.) While it speaks to challenges, it also highlights the importance of choosing the right words to tell or express something clearly.