erzählen
/ɛɐ̯ˈtsɛːlən/
Definition
To tell or narrate something, such as a story or personal experience, to someone.
Example
Sie erzählt ihrer Tochter jeden Abend eine Geschichte.
Show translation
She tells her daughter a story every evening.
Etymology
From Middle High German *erzellen*, a combination of the prefix *er-* (indicating completion or result) and *zählen* ("to count, to recount"). The root traces back to Old High German *zellen* ("to tell, to count"), related to the Germanic root that also gave English "tell." The prefix *er-* shifted the meaning from merely counting to fully recounting a narrative.
Cultural note
*Erzählen* sits at the heart of German literary culture — the noun *Erzählung* (narrative, short story) is a major prose genre. German has a fine distinction between *erzählen* (to narrate, to tell a story with some detail) and *sagen* (to say/tell a simple fact) — English speakers often confuse the two. Saying *Ich erzähle dir die Wahrheit* would sound slightly dramatic; *Ich sage dir die Wahrheit* is the natural choice for "I'm telling you the truth."