“Say” and “talk” are two commonly misused verbs. They’re closely related, but the meanings and grammar are a bit different.
MEANING
When you say something, you express a specific thought. It’s a statement that you make.
He said he was going to the store.
Did you say you would help?
To talk, on the other hand, simply describes the act of making words come out of your mouth.
She talked to the bus driver.
I always talk too much.
GRAMMAR
To say is a transitive verb—it requires an object. You have to indicate what was said.
He said he was going to the store.
Did you say you would help?
But to talk is intransitive—no object is necessary. We don’t need to know what is being talked about.
They talked for an hour.
Why don’t you go talk to him?
So, anyone can talk to anyone (including themselves!) about anything (or nothing). But you have to say something specific.
I’m now done talking and will say goodbye and good luck.
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To find out the difference between another word often confused with "say", read our blog, "When do I use SAY vs. TELL?"
