# don't tell me that (disturbing possibility/realization)



## trigel

Don't tell me that there's only "אל תגיד לי ש"...

תודה מראש


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## ystab

This is the only option I can think of. Don't tell me that you're moving to New York - אל תגיד לי שאתה עובר לניו יורק. Maybe if you find some synonyms in English, we can translate them.


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## k8an

That's basically all I can think of. Unless you want to add something to it, like "are you serious?" "אתה רציני?" or "are you joking?" "אתה צוחק?" or "are you working one over on me?" "אתה עובד עליי?"


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## GeriReshef

I guess such way of talking exists also in English: the speaker doesn't really doubt, but pretend to doubt..
*Don't tell me that you're moving to New York* = I guess its true but it is so surprising that I will act as if I don't believe and let you "convience" me you are serious..


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## Ali Smith

Can you also say אל תומר לי? For example, although it’s far more common to say אגיד לך את האמת, one could theoretically say אומר לך את האמת for “I’ll tell you the truth.”


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## amikama

Ali Smith said:


> Can you also say אל ת*א*מר לי?


In the context given by the OP? Possible, but doesn't sound very natural.


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## Drink

In colloquial Hebrew, the verbs אמר and הגיד merged into a single suppletive verb. You use אמר in the past tense and present tense (participle) forms, and you use הגיד in the future and infinitive.

For example:
- *אמרתי לו* and not *הגדתי לו*
- *מה אתה אומר* and not *מה אתה מגיד*
- *הייתי אומר* and not *הייתי מגיד*
- *אני אגיד לך* and not *אני אומר לך*
- *אני רוצה להגיד* and not *אני רוצה לומר*
- *תגיד לי* and not *אמור לי* or *תאמר לי*
- *אל תגיד לי* and not *אל תאמר לי*

And just to emphasize again, the above only applies to _colloquial Hebrew_.


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## Ali Smith

Thanks. What about in formal Hebrew?


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## Drink

Ali Smith said:


> Thanks. What about in formal Hebrew?



I would say that since all the forms used in colloquial Hebrew are correct in formal Hebrew, it tends to be that these forms are also the more common forms in formal Hebrew. However, the other forms are also correct in formal Hebrew and can be used, though they might have some shades of meaning that distinguish them which I do not know enough to explain.


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## rosemarino

I know the original post is from seven years ago, but it seems to me the question was how to translate the English expression "don't tell me."  I think maybe you could use מה פתאום?


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## Abaye

rosemarino said:


> maybe you could use מה פתאום?


אל תגיד לי is when you hope that something hasn't happened.
מה פתאום is when you think that something hasn't happened or is an unlikely event.
באמש'ך is when you need approval (or challenge someone to affirm) that something has happened.

Examples:
אל תגיד לי שמכבי שוב הפסידה?!
מה פתאום מכבי הפסידה? היא קלעה סל בשנייה האחרונה!
מכבי הפסידה לקבוצה הבולגרית? באמש'ך?


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## rosemarino

מעניין.  תודה, Abaye.


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