Spanish · Everyday Verbs
"to tell" in Spanish: contar
contar
Note: also: decir
To tell in Spanish is contar. Say Yo cuento una historia or Me cuentas qué pasó. Decir means say; it does not replace contar for stories.
How to pronounce contar: audio and sound guideCatching up
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How to pronounce contar
Say it
kohn-TAHR / KWEN-toh / KWEN-tahs
/kon.ˈtaɾ/
kohn-TAHR. Yo cuento is KWEN-toh. Tú cuentas is KWEN-tahs.
"to tell" in Spanish: quick reference
| Spanish | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| contar | to tell / to count Stories and numbers. | Stories and numbers. |
| yo cuento | I tell / I count Present; o→ue change. | Present; o→ue change. |
| tú cuentas | you tell Informal present. | Informal present. |
| cuéntame | tell me Friendly imperative. | Friendly imperative. |
| contar un secreto | to tell a secret Common collocation. | Common collocation. |
How to use contar in real life
- 1Catching up
Cuéntame qué pasó ayer.
Tell me what happened yesterday.
Cuéntame is a warm prompt.
- 2Bedtime
Le cuento un cuento corto a mi sobrina.
I tell my niece a short story.
Contar un cuento is the set phrase.
- 3Keeping trust
No voy a contar tu secreto.
I'm not going to tell your secret.
Contar here means reveal.
Mistakes English speakers make with contar
Incorrect: Yo decir la historia.
Correct: Yo cuento la historia.
Stories use contar, not decir.
Incorrect: Tú contar ahora?
Correct: ¿Tú cuentas ahora?
Conjugate with ue: tú cuentas.
Good to know
Good to knowContar does double duty: tell a story and count numbers. Context makes it clear. Friends open gossip with Cuéntame… For say that…, prefer decir que… unless narrating events.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Sharing weekend news
ChatPal
Cuéntame de tu fin de semana.
Tell me about your weekend.
You
Te cuento rápido: fui a la playa.
I'll tell you quickly: I went to the beach.
ChatPal
Cuenta más. ¿Llovió?
Tell more. Did it rain?
You
No. Luego te muestro las fotos.
No. Later I'll show you the photos.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"to tell" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "to tell" in Spanish
Contar vs decir?
Contar for stories/secrets; decir for say.
How do I say tell me?
Cuéntame… / Cuéntame qué pasó.
Does contar mean count?
Yes, also to count numbers.
What is the stem change in cuento?
o→ue: cuento, cuentas, cuenta, cuentan.
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