“tell lies”是一个常用动词短语,核心含义是“说谎;讲假话”,用于描述“故意说出不真实的内容以欺骗他人”的行为。
tell:动词,意为“说;讲述”(强调“传递信息”的动作);
lies:名词“lie”(谎言)的复数形式,指代“不真实的陈述”;
整体短语侧重“多次或习惯性的说谎行为”(若指“一个具体的谎言”,常用单数形式tell a lie)。
“tell lies”是及物动词短语,通常需要结合“对象”(对谁说谎)或“内容”(关于什么说谎)来完整表达语义,常见结构:
表示“向特定的人编造谎言”。
例:
He often tells lies to his parents about where he goes after school.
(他经常对父母说谎,隐瞒放学后的去向。)
Don’t tell lies to me—I know the truth.
(别对我撒谎——我知道真相。)
表示“针对某个人或某件事编造虚假信息”。
例:
She told lies about her colleague to get the promotion.
(她编造关于同事的谎言以获得晋升。)
The politician was accused of telling lies about his past.
(这位政客被指控就自己的过往说谎。)
stop telling lies:停止说谎(强调“不再继续”);
例:The teacher told the boy to stop telling lies immediately.
admit telling lies:承认说谎(强调“承认行为”);
例:He finally admitted telling lies about his exam results.
be caught telling lies:说谎被抓现行;
例:She was caught telling lies to the police and got in trouble.
tell a lie:指“一个具体的谎言”(强调单次行为);
例:He told a lie yesterday to avoid punishment.(他昨天说了一个谎以逃避惩罚。)
tell lies:指“多次/习惯性的说谎”(强调行为的重复性);
例:He tells lies all the time—no one trusts him anymore.(他总是说谎——没人再相信他了。)
“tell lies”的主语通常是“人”(只有人能主动说谎);
时态变化:根据语境调整“tell”的形式(tells/told/will tell/has told等);
例:She has told lies to us many times before.(她之前已经对我们说谎很多次了。)
总结:“tell lies”是描述“说谎”行为的常用表达,关键是结合“对象(to sb)”或“内容(about sb/sth)”来明确语义,复数形式侧重“习惯性”,单数形式侧重“单次”。