告訴 vs 對 說 -what is the difference between those two?

[sangajtam]

Whats difference between:

他告訴他們說: (...)

 

and

他對他們說: (...)

 

?

[lips]

Take the literal translations:

 

He told them ...

 

He spoke to them (that) ...

 

The same difference as in English.

[sangajtam]

So can i use them both?

The second one, when i type it in google is all in religious context...

[lips]

Actually, the 說 at the end of the first one is optional/redundant.

As to the second one, if it's used in the Chinese bible, it must be acceptable.  

[abcdefg]

So can i use them both?

 

The first one is more conversational 口语。The second one is more bookish 书面。

[muirm]

The second one, when i type it in google is all in religious context...

If you google "he said to them", you similarly get bibley results.

[Guest123]

The meaning of 说 is larger, it means "speak" in quite a wide sens:

他会说英文。 他不太爱说话。你知道什么，就说吧。她什么也没说。

他说我 means "He criticise me"

他对我说（他跟我说） means "He tells me something。

The meaning of 告诉 is more specific, it means tell someting to someone, inform someone. And it is transitif, so doesn't need any preposition.

我告诉你一个好消息。

告诉我他在哪儿。

[Ori_A]

I actually don't remember hearing chinese people say “他对我说”. It does seem a bit more 书面.
I would say that the most common phrase that I hear is “他跟我说”, and the less common (though still used of course) is “他告诉我”.

My feeling is that 告诉 is a bit stronger and more certain, like when telling someone to (not) do something, whereas ”跟我说“ would be more "he told me that yesterday this happened". a bit softer, I would say. That's my own feeling of course.

[lips]

说 can also mean "persuade" as in 游说 , pronounced as shui4, although now many pronounce it (wrongly) shuo1.

[歐博思]

告訴 is more direct, maybe slightly more about reprimanding. Notice the radical 斥.

 

對...說 has more words, maybe slightly more neutral. But also consider the difference between 對...說 and 和/跟....說. Maybe 對 is more like 'talking at' someone while 和/跟 are more like 'talking with' someone. Probably not in all cases though.

[sangajtam]

Thanks all for those meaningful replies.

[Insideoutjoy]

The same meaning, I am native Chinese speaker and I think they all make sense.

  I appreciate your hard work in Chinese study!!

[xiaoheiyang]

subject + 对 + object + 说：“....”  : emphsize who/ somebody (object) do you speak to. 

subject +告诉+ object + a matter: emphsize the matter.  

 

(wrong):他告诉我‘你好！’

(correct): 他对我说：”你好！“

 

(wrong): 他对我说一个秘密。

(correct): 他告诉我一个秘密。

 

 

 

The first one is more conversational 口语。The second one is more bookish 书面。

I agree！

 

 

And in daily life, subject + 跟 + object + 说：“....” is more common instead of subject + 对 + object + 说：“....”