Meaning of the phrase "I could tell"

Question

Context:

I was so happy I felt tears starting in my eyes, and then she up and hugged me. I think she could tell.

I think this is Off Topic General Reference. From the first online dictionary I looked at - tell : to find out by observing, recognize <you can tell it's a masterpiece> — FumbleFingers, Aug 19 '13 at 13:22

score 4 · Accepted Answer · answered Aug 19 '13 at 08:14

4

Tell is frequently used with the meaning of realize or understand, so the sentence you quote can be read as

"As I was close to tears, and she realized it, she came near me and hugged me"

answered Aug 19 '13 at 08:14

Paola

1 Answers1