tell him I said/say hello

[LewisJian]

If you should see Tom while you are at the airport, tell him I said/say hello.


Hi,
I would use "say" in the above instead of "said." Am I right? Thanks,

 

[GoesStation]

Said is better. You can also say ​tell him "hi" for me.

 

[emsr2d2]

Or "Say hi from me!"

 

[LewisJian]

Said is better. You can also say ​tell him "hi" for me.

Thanks, but could you tell me why "said" is better? Thanks again in advance.

 

[Rover_KE]

You're saying 'hi' now. By the time he sees Tom, your 'hi' will be in the past.

 

[Tdol]

You only said hello once in the past at the time of reporting.