Here’s how to use the words “say, tell, speak and talk”
Say – Examples: [1] “He said that he was hungry.” [2]“What did he say about the exam?” [3]“What did she say to you?”
Tell – Examples: [1]“He told me that he was hungry” – not “He told to me….” (“Tell” means “say to, so “tell to” would mean “say to to”) [2]“He told me to close the window.” (Here “to” is part of an infinitive and expresses a command.) [3]“She told me about her dog.”
Speak – Examples: [1] “Do you speak English?” (Meaning: “Are you able to speak English?”) [2] “She spoke about her trip.” (Correct, but “talked” is more common) [3] “They spoke in Korean.” (Meaning: “They used Korean to communicate”) [4] “He spoke to me.”
They used Korean to communicate.”) Don’t say “They talked Korean.”
