Decir vs. contar
While both the Spanish words decir and contar can be translated as to tell or to say in English, they are not interchangeable. The main difference lies in the nature of what is being told: decir focuses on conveying specific information, while contar involves narrating a story or a series of events.
Decir
A1The verb decir means to say or to tell. It is used when you are reporting specific information, quoting someone, stating a fact, giving an order, or communicating a simple piece of news. It focuses on the act of uttering words or conveying data.
El profesor dijo que el examen es el viernes.
(The teacher said that the exam is on Friday.)
Mi jefe me dijo que llegara temprano.
(My boss told me to arrive early.)
Ella siempre dice la verdad.
(She always tells the truth.)
Perdona, ¿qué dijiste?
(Sorry, what did you say?)
El letrero dice 'Prohibido el paso'.
(The sign says No Trespassing.)
Te digo que esa no es una buena idea.
(I'm telling you that's not a good idea.)
Contar
A2The verb contar means to tell in the sense of to narrate or to recount. It is used for telling stories, jokes, anecdotes, or explaining a sequence of events in detail. It also has a completely different, common meaning: to count numbers.
Anoche me contó una historia de miedo.
(Last night he told me a scary story.)
Cuéntame cómo te fue en tus vacaciones.
(Tell me how your vacation went.)
Mi hermano sabe contar chistes muy buenos.
(My brother knows how to tell very good jokes.)
El testigo contó a la policía todo lo que vio.
(The witness recounted to the police everything he saw.)
¿Te contaron la última noticia sobre el equipo?
(Did they tell you the latest news about the team?)
El niño aprendió a contar hasta diez.
(The child learned to count to ten.)
Summary
In short, use decir (to say) for direct information, quotes, and commands, much like reporting a fact. Use contar (to recount/narrate) for stories, jokes, and detailed accounts of events. A simple rule is: if you can replace tell with say, use decir. If you can replace it with narrate or recount, use contar. Remember that only contar also means to count numbers, which is a key distinction.