Explain in Different Languages
Discover 'Explain' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'explain' holds a significant place in our vocabulary as it allows us to clarify, simplify, and communicate complex ideas. Its cultural importance is evident in various fields, from education and science to literature and media, where clarity and understanding are paramount.
Have you ever wondered how to say 'explain' in different languages? Knowing the translation can be a fun way to expand your linguistic repertoire and connect with people from diverse cultures. For instance, in Spanish, 'explain' is 'explicar', while in French, it's 'expliquer'. In German, it's 'erklären', and in Japanese, it's '説明{せつめい}' (setsumei).
The concept of explaining has been around since the dawn of communication, as humans have always sought to understand and make sense of the world around them. From ancient philosophers to modern-day teachers, the ability to explain complex ideas in simple terms has been highly valued.
Join us as we delve into the translations of 'explain' in various languages and cultures. You might be surprised by the fascinating historical contexts and interesting facts associated with this simple yet powerful word.
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Explain in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | verduidelik | ||
| "Verduidelik" is derived from the Dutch "verduidelijken", which in turn comes from the Latin "clarus" (clear). | |||
| Amharic | ያብራሩ | ||
| "ያብራሩ" can have the alternate meaning of "to tell". | |||
| Hausa | bayyana | ||
| The word "bayyana" can also mean "to clarify," "to make clear," or "to shed light on" in Hausa. | |||
| Igbo | kọwaa | ||
| The noun form, akowa, is sometimes used figuratively for 'excuse', 'justification'. | |||
| Malagasy | hazavao | ||
| "Hazavao" can also mean "to open up" or "to open a way for" something | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | fotokozani | ||
| The word "fotokozani" can also mean "to reveal" or "to announce" in Nyanja. | |||
| Shona | tsanangura | ||
| "Tsanangura" shares the same root with "tsananguro" (explanation) which came from the Proto-Bantu word *-sanangura- which also meant "explain". | |||
| Somali | sharax | ||
| Sharax is derived from the root word "shar", meaning "to open" or "to make clear". | |||
| Sesotho | hlalosa | ||
| The Sesotho word "hlalosa" also means "to make known" or "to give an account of". | |||
| Swahili | eleza | ||
| The word "eleza" also means "to describe" or "to tell a story". | |||
| Xhosa | cacisa | ||
| The word cacisa can also refer to a detailed description or a piece of information that helps someone understand a situation. | |||
| Yoruba | ṣalaye | ||
| Ṣalaye has meanings ranging from explaining to clarifying a situation, to revealing a secret. | |||
| Zulu | chaza | ||
| The word "chaza" also means "to tell", "to inform", and "to warn" in Zulu. | |||
| Bambara | ka ɲɛfɔ | ||
| Ewe | ɖe eme | ||
| Kinyarwanda | sobanura | ||
| Lingala | kolimbola | ||
| Luganda | okuwoza | ||
| Sepedi | hlaloša | ||
| Twi (Akan) | kyerɛ mu | ||
Explain in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | يشرح | ||
| The verb "يشرح" in Arabic also carries the connotation of "dissecting" or performing an autopsy. | |||
| Hebrew | להסביר | ||
| In Arabic, "lashahara" means "to brighten", which is a possible root for "להסביר" in Hebrew. | |||
| Pashto | تشریح | ||
| The word "تشریح" is derived from the Arabic word "شرح", meaning "to explain" or "to clarify." | |||
| Arabic | يشرح | ||
| The verb "يشرح" in Arabic also carries the connotation of "dissecting" or performing an autopsy. | |||
Explain in Western European Languages
| Albanian | shpjegoj | ||
| The word 'shpjegoj' in Albanian is thought to have originated from the Proto-Albanian word '*shpjegoja', which meant 'to unfold' or 'to reveal'. | |||
| Basque | azaldu | ||
| Basque verb “azaldu” comes from Latin verb “explicare” (unfold) and its etymology has to do with the action of opening a door or window, and in general to show something hidden. | |||
| Catalan | explicar | ||
| The word "explicar" can mean "explain", "unfold" or "deploy" in a military sense | |||
| Croatian | objasniti | ||
| The verb is originally derived from the word 'jasan' (meaning 'clear, obvious'). | |||
| Danish | forklare | ||
| The Danish word "forklare" (meaning "to explain" or "to clarify") comes from the Low German "vorcleren" (meaning "to inform" or "to explain"). | |||
| Dutch | leg uit | ||
| "Leg uit" is an idiom that means "explain," but it literally means "put down your leg." | |||
| English | explain | ||
| The word 'explain' derives from the Latin word 'explanare', meaning to make level or clear. | |||
| French | explique | ||
| "Explique" in French can refer to a large piece of fabric that is used to hang on a boat's yard or from an anchor to the ship's bow | |||
| Frisian | ferklearje | ||
| In its earliest written forms in the 1560s, it meant "to declare, to reveal, to expose". | |||
| Galician | explica | ||
| The Galician word 'explica' also means 'unfold' or 'develop', which reflects its Latin root 'explicare', meaning 'to spread out'. | |||
| German | erklären | ||
| The word "erklären" is derived from the Middle High German "erclæren," meaning "to make clear" or "to interpret," and is related to the Latin "clarus," meaning "clear" or "bright." | |||
| Icelandic | útskýra | ||
| The Icelandic word "útskýra" derives from the Old Norse word "út-skíra", meaning "to set apart" or "to make clear". | |||
| Irish | mínigh | ||
| The term 'mínigh' originally referred to 'illuminating', with the meaning of 'to explicate' developing later. | |||
| Italian | spiegare | ||
| “Spiegare” is also used idiomatically to mean “to set out on a journey” as well as “to break” (in the sense of “to break wind”). | |||
| Luxembourgish | erklären | ||
| In Luxembourgish, "erklären" can also mean to make clear or to clarify. | |||
| Maltese | spjega | ||
| The word "spjega" in Maltese is derived from the Italian word "spiegare", which also means "to explain". | |||
| Norwegian | forklare | ||
| Forklare comes from Old Norse forklāra meaning "make clear, show, prove". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | explicar | ||
| In Portuguese, "explicar" holds the secondary meaning "to be clear or evident". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | mìnich | ||
| The Scots Gaelic word "mìnich" can also mean "demonstrate" or "show to someone" | |||
| Spanish | explique | ||
| "Explique" derives from the Latin "explicare" meaning "to unfold" or "to make clear." | |||
| Swedish | förklara | ||
| Förr betydde 'att förklara' att göra tydligt eller förklarligt. | |||
| Welsh | esboniwch | ||
| The word "esboniwch" is a compound of the Welsh words "esbon" ("to speak") and "iwch" ("purpose"), suggesting its primary meaning is "to speak with purpose or intent." | |||
Explain in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | растлумачыць | ||
| Bosnian | objasni | ||
| The word 'objasni' in Bosnian comes from the root 'objasniti', which also means 'to interpret' or 'to elucidate'. | |||
| Bulgarian | обясни | ||
| "Объясни" comes from the root "ясни" which means "bright" or "clear", and also relates to the word "утро" (morning). | |||
| Czech | vysvětlit | ||
| "Vysvětlit" is a derivative of "světlo" (light) and the prefix "vy" (out from), so it originally meant "to lead out into the light". | |||
| Estonian | seletama | ||
| The word "seletama" is derived from the Proto-Finnic word *selittämE, which means "to clear, to make clear, to explain". | |||
| Finnish | selittää | ||
| The Finnish word "selittää" comes from the Proto-Uralic word *selj-, which also meant "to clear" or "to make open." | |||
| Hungarian | magyarázza el | ||
| The verb 'magyarázza el' comes from the Latin word 'explanare' and also has the meaning 'make clear' or 'unfold'. | |||
| Latvian | paskaidrot | ||
| "Paskaidrot" is thought to have originated from the German "aufklären" (to illuminate, to explain). | |||
| Lithuanian | paaiškinti | ||
| The word "paaiškinti" can also mean "to demonstrate" or "to illustrate" in Lithuanian. | |||
| Macedonian | објасни | ||
| The word "објасни" is also used to mean "to clarify" or "to make clear". | |||
| Polish | wyjaśnić | ||
| "Wyjaśnić" originates from the Old Polish verb "wyjać", meaning "to utter, to speak, to tell". | |||
| Romanian | explica | ||
| In Romanian, "explica" means not only "explain" but also "unfold," like a map. | |||
| Russian | объяснять | ||
| The verb "объяснять" is derived from the Old Church Slavonic word "въсняти", meaning "to make clear" or "to clarify". | |||
| Serbian | објасни | ||
| "Objasni" is the imperative second person singular form of "objasniti", which comes from the Proto-Slavic root *ob-jasniti, meaning "to make clear or light". | |||
| Slovak | vysvetliť | ||
| The word "vysvetliť" derives from the Old Church Slavonic verb "vŭsŭvetŭliti", meaning "to make clear, to show, to interpret." | |||
| Slovenian | razloži | ||
| The word 'razložiti' in Slovene also means 'to unfold' or 'to spread out'. This shows its close connection to the concept of 'explaining', as 'explaining' often involves 'unfolding' or 'spreading out' the meaning of something. | |||
| Ukrainian | пояснити | ||
| "Пояснити" originated from the Old Church Slavonic word "пояснити", meaning "to make clear, to elucidate." | |||
Explain in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | ব্যাখ্যা করা | ||
| ব্যাখ্যা করা has an alternate meaning of "to give a reason for". | |||
| Gujarati | સમજાવો | ||
| The word “સમજાવો” (“explain”) is derived from the Sanskrit word “vi-smṛ-j,” which means “to cause to remember.” | |||
| Hindi | समझाना | ||
| The word "समझाना" derives from the Sanskrit verb "smṛ" (to remember) and connotes the act of helping someone to recall or understand something. | |||
| Kannada | ವಿವರಿಸಿ | ||
| "ವಿವರಿಸಿ" (explain) is derived from the Sanskrit word "विवृति" (vivṛti), meaning "an unfolding, a disclosure, or an explanation". Additionally, it can also mean "to make clear, elucidate, or interpret" in other contexts. | |||
| Malayalam | വിശദീകരിക്കാൻ | ||
| Marathi | स्पष्ट करणे | ||
| The term 'स्पष्ट करणे' is also used for 'make clear or understandable' | |||
| Nepali | बुझाउनुहोस् | ||
| The word "बुझाउनुहोस्" can also mean "to extinguish" or "to calm down" in Nepali. | |||
| Punjabi | ਸਮਝਾਓ | ||
| The word "ਸਮਝਾਓ" in Punjabi is also used to mean "to give reasons for" or "to account for something" | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | පැහැදිලි කරන්න | ||
| Tamil | விளக்க | ||
| The Tamil word "விளக்க" can also refer to a lamp or a light, reflecting its role in illuminating and clarifying. | |||
| Telugu | వివరించండి | ||
| Urdu | وضاحت | ||
| The word "وضاحت" originally meant "light" or "brightness" in Arabic. | |||
Explain in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 说明 | ||
| 说明 (Simplified Chinese) can also mean `indicate`, `imply`, `state`, or `illustrate`. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 說明 | ||
| 說明 as a verb translates to "explain" in English, but as a noun can mean "a pamphlet" or "a manual" | |||
| Japanese | 説明する | ||
| "説明する" combines the kanji 「解」 (to loosen) with 「明」 (bright) and 「示」 (show) and literally means to loosen the knots of darkness of uncertainty and then to show things brightly and clearly. | |||
| Korean | 설명 | ||
| 설명 means not only “explain” but also “describe” or “interpret.” | |||
| Mongolian | тайлбарлах | ||
| In Mongolian, the word 'тайлбарлах' is derived from the word 'тайлбар' ('meaning, explanation'), which in turn is derived from the verb 'тэйлбэrlэх' ('to cut, to trim'), implying the act of separating or clarifying something. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ရှင်းပြပါ | ||
Explain in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | menjelaskan | ||
| The term "menjelaskan" also carries an additional sense of "to provide reasons" or "to provide a cause of something", akin to the French "expliquer" (which comes from "ex + plicare") or Latin "explicare" (from "ex + plicare"). | |||
| Javanese | nerangake | ||
| The word "nerangake" in Javanese comes from the root word "terang" meaning "light" and the suffix "-ake" which means "to make", suggesting the idea of bringing light or clarity to a subject. | |||
| Khmer | ពន្យល់ | ||
| Originally a noun of Sanskrit origin meaning “proof, evidence, example” that now functions as a transitive verb | |||
| Lao | ອະທິບາຍ | ||
| The word “ອະທິບາຍ” (explain) in Lao is derived from the Pali word “aṭṭhapana,” which means to “make clear or manifest.” | |||
| Malay | terangkan | ||
| "Terangkan" can also mean 'to enlighten' or 'to illuminate' in Malay. | |||
| Thai | อธิบาย | ||
| "อธิบาย" is an archaic form of "อภิปราย" meaning to converse or discuss. | |||
| Vietnamese | giải thích | ||
| "Giải thích" can also mean "to apologize" or "to excuse". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | ipaliwanag | ||
Explain in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | izah et | ||
| "Izah et" means "explain" in Azerbaijani. It comes from the Arabic word "izah", which means "explanation" or "clarification". The word "et" is a suffix that means "to do" or "to make". | |||
| Kazakh | түсіндіріңіз | ||
| Kyrgyz | түшүндүрүү | ||
| Tajik | шарҳ диҳед | ||
| The word "шарҳ диҳед" in Tajik is derived from the Persian "شرح دهید" and has the alternate meaning of "to interpret or comment upon". | |||
| Turkmen | düşündir | ||
| Uzbek | tushuntiring | ||
| The word "tushuntiring" in Uzbek also means "to make something clear or understandable". | |||
| Uyghur | چۈشەندۈرۈڭ | ||
Explain in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | wehewehe | ||
| "Wehewehe" can also mean "description" or "interpretation" in Hawaiian. | |||
| Maori | whakamārama | ||
| The word "whakamārama" can also mean "to illuminate" or "to make clear". | |||
| Samoan | faʻamatala | ||
| Fa'amatala is also used to describe a traditional Samoan dance that narrates a story through movement and gestures. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | ipaliwanag | ||
| The word "ipaliwanag" in Tagalog (Filipino) comes from the root word "liwanag" meaning "light" or "brightness", suggesting that explaining something is like shedding light on it to make it clearer. | |||
Explain in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | qhananchaña | ||
| Guarani | myesakã | ||
Explain in International Languages
| Esperanto | klarigi | ||
| The word "klarigi" is derived from the Latin word "clarus" meaning "clear" or "bright". | |||
| Latin | explicate | ||
| The Latin word "explicate" derives from "explicare", meaning "to unfold" or "to open up". | |||
Explain in Others Languages
| Greek | εξηγώ | ||
| Εξηγώ is derived from the prefix 'εκ-' (out-) and the verb 'ηγέομαι' (to lead), thus meaning to lead someone out of a state of uncertainty or confusion. | |||
| Hmong | piav qhia | ||
| It is often used in the context of "explain" or "make clear to someone". | |||
| Kurdish | daxûyankirin | ||
| The Kurdish word "daxûyankirin" can also mean "to clarify" or "to elucidate." | |||
| Turkish | açıklamak | ||
| The word "açıklamak" in Turkish also means "to open" and "to clarify". | |||
| Xhosa | cacisa | ||
| The word cacisa can also refer to a detailed description or a piece of information that helps someone understand a situation. | |||
| Yiddish | דערקלערן | ||
| דערקלערן can also mean to 'make clear,' 'declare,' or 'interpret'. | |||
| Zulu | chaza | ||
| The word "chaza" also means "to tell", "to inform", and "to warn" in Zulu. | |||
| Assamese | ব্যাখ্যা কৰা | ||
| Aymara | qhananchaña | ||
| Bhojpuri | बिस्तार से बतावल | ||
| Dhivehi | ދޭހަ ކޮށްދިނުން | ||
| Dogri | व्याख्या करना | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | ipaliwanag | ||
| Guarani | myesakã | ||
| Ilocano | ilawlawag | ||
| Krio | ɛksplen | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | ڕوونکردنەوە | ||
| Maithili | वर्णन | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯁꯟꯗꯣꯛꯅ ꯇꯥꯛꯄ | ||
| Mizo | hrilhfiah | ||
| Oromo | ibsuu | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ବୁଝାଇବା | ||
| Quechua | willay | ||
| Sanskrit | व्याख्याति | ||
| Tatar | аңлату | ||
| Tigrinya | ግለፅ | ||
| Tsonga | hlamusela | ||