You say something (to somebody): He said he was tired. She said hello to her friends.
TELL:
You tell somebody something: He told us a nice story. Tell me the truth.
You tell somebody to do something (instruction / order): He told me to finish the work soon. They told the children not to run. He told his secretary to type the letters before 10:00 am.
ASK
You ask somebody something: He asked me the time. They asked the forest ranger where they could find a good place to camp.
You ask somebody to do something: She asked me to close the door. They asked us to wait a minute.
