Explanation in Different Languages
Discover 'Explanation' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
An explanation is a statement or account that makes something clear or easy to understand. It is a fundamental tool for communication, learning, and problem-solving, and it plays a crucial role in almost every aspect of our lives. From science and mathematics to literature and art, explanations help us make sense of the world around us.
The significance of explanations goes beyond the realm of language and communication. In many cultures, the ability to provide a clear and concise explanation is seen as a sign of intelligence, wisdom, and authority. Moreover, explanations have been at the heart of some of the most important discoveries and innovations in human history. For instance, the scientific revolution of the 17th century was driven in large part by the quest for clear and accurate explanations of natural phenomena.
If you're interested in language and culture, you might want to know how the word 'explanation' is translated into different languages. After all, understanding how other cultures conceptualize and communicate complex ideas can give us valuable insights into their worldview and way of life. Here are a few examples:
- In Spanish, an explanation is called 'una explicación'.
- In French, it's 'une explication'.
- In German, it's 'eine Erklärung'.
- In Mandarin Chinese, it's '解释 (jiěshì)'.
- In Japanese, it's '説明 (setsumei)'.
Explanation
Explanation in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | verduideliking | ||
| Verduideliking, meaning 'explanation', derives from the Dutch 'verduidelijken' translating to 'to make clear'. It is related to 'duidelijk' ('clear') and has a secondary meaning of 'declaration'. | |||
| Amharic | ማብራሪያ | ||
| The word "ማብራሪያ" can also refer to a "reason" or "excuse" in Amharic. | |||
| Hausa | bayani | ||
| In Hausa, "bayani" can also refer to a statement or account of an event or situation. | |||
| Igbo | nkọwa | ||
| The word “nkọwa” can also mean “interpretation” in Igbo. | |||
| Malagasy | fanazavana | ||
| In Malagasy, the word "fanazavana" can also mean "justification" or "validation". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | kufotokoza | ||
| The word "kufotokoza" in Nyanja can also mean "to analyze" or "to interpret". | |||
| Shona | tsananguro | ||
| The word "tsananguro" is derived from the verb stem "tsanangura," which means "to make clear or distinct." | |||
| Somali | sharaxaad | ||
| "Sharaxaad" is also used to refer to a piece of furniture that helps display or organise items. | |||
| Sesotho | tlhaloso | ||
| The word 'tlhaloso' is derived from the verb 'hlalosa', which means 'to make clear'. | |||
| Swahili | maelezo | ||
| The word "maelezo" in Swahili also means "detail" or "feature" | |||
| Xhosa | inkcazo | ||
| The Xhosa word "inkcazo" derives from the verb "chaza" meaning "to reveal" or "to make known". | |||
| Yoruba | alaye | ||
| The word "alaye" can also refer to the "explanation of a riddle" or an "unraveling" of something hidden. | |||
| Zulu | incazelo | ||
| The word "incazelo" in Zulu can also refer to a reason, justification, or account. | |||
| Bambara | ɲɛfɔli | ||
| Ewe | numeɖeɖe | ||
| Kinyarwanda | ibisobanuro | ||
| Lingala | ndimbola | ||
| Luganda | okunnyonnyola | ||
| Sepedi | tlhalošo | ||
| Twi (Akan) | nkyerɛmu | ||
Explanation in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | تفسير | ||
| The Arabic word "تفسير" can also refer to "commentary" or "exegesis", particularly in the context of religious texts. | |||
| Hebrew | הֶסבֵּר | ||
| הֶסבֵּר is derived from the root ס-ב-ב, meaning "to turn around," possibly referring to a mental process of "turning around" an idea to understand it. | |||
| Pashto | تشریح | ||
| "تشریح" in Pashto can also mean "medicine," and is etymologically related to the word "anatomy." | |||
| Arabic | تفسير | ||
| The Arabic word "تفسير" can also refer to "commentary" or "exegesis", particularly in the context of religious texts. | |||
Explanation in Western European Languages
| Albanian | shpjegim | ||
| The Albanian word "shpjegim" derives from the Proto-Indo-European root "*sek-," meaning "to cut" or "to separate". | |||
| Basque | azalpena | ||
| The word "azalpena" has no alternative meanings, but is related to the words "azal" ("skin"), "azaltzen" ("to undress"), and "azaldu" ("to appear"). | |||
| Catalan | explicació | ||
| The Catalan word "explicació" shares its etymology with the English word "explanation" and can also mean "interpretation" or "performance". | |||
| Croatian | obrazloženje | ||
| The word "obrazloženje" also means "rationale" or "justification". | |||
| Danish | forklaring | ||
| The Danish word "forklaring" derives from the Old Norse terms "for" and "klára" and originally referred to an open space in a wood or forest where trees had been removed. | |||
| Dutch | uitleg | ||
| In Dutch, the word "uitleg" is also used to refer to a type of traditional flatbread commonly served with savory toppings. | |||
| English | explanation | ||
| The word "explanation" comes from the Latin word "explanare", meaning "to flatten out" or "to make clear". | |||
| French | explication | ||
| In French, "explication" has two distinct meanings: 1) an 'explanation' or 'interpretation', and 2) a 'dispute' or 'argument'. | |||
| Frisian | ferklearring | ||
| The word 'ferklearring' in Frisian is derived from the Old Frisian word 'forklare', which also meant 'to purify' or 'to clarify'. | |||
| Galician | explicación | ||
| In Galician, "explicación" can also mean "expiation" (in the religious sense), unlike in Spanish. | |||
| German | erläuterung | ||
| 'Erläuterung' can also mean 'glossary' or 'legend', and is derived from the Middle High German 'erliuhtunge' (illumination). | |||
| Icelandic | skýring | ||
| Skýring is derived from the Old Norse word 'skýra,' meaning 'to make clear' or 'to interpret,' and can also refer to 'interpretation,' 'exposition,' or 'commentary.' | |||
| Irish | míniú | ||
| "Míniú" originally derives from "mín," a prefix meaning "small," or "fine," and "-iú" a suffix that can form abstract noun words from any root verb. Hence "míniú" means literally "the quality of fineness," or figuratively "explanation." | |||
| Italian | spiegazione | ||
| "Spiegazione" also means "wrinkle" or "rumple" in Italian. | |||
| Luxembourgish | erklärung | ||
| Erklärung also means "clarification", "statement", or "declaration". | |||
| Maltese | spjegazzjoni | ||
| The original form of the Maltese word "spjegazzjoni" is the verb "spjega," borrowed from the Italian "spiegare," meaning "to unfold," "to display," and "to explain." | |||
| Norwegian | forklaring | ||
| The word "forklaring" is derived from the Old Norse word "forklara", meaning "to make clear" or "to clarify". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | explicação | ||
| The Portuguese word "explicação" can also refer to a private tutorial or extra class. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | mìneachadh | ||
| The Gaelic word 'mìneachadh' is also used to describe the process of 'weakening' or 'thinning' something. | |||
| Spanish | explicación | ||
| In addition to "explanation," "explicación" can also mean "justification" and can refer to a legal document or statement. | |||
| Swedish | förklaring | ||
| The Swedish word “förklaring” literally means “un-masking” or “un-veiling”, thus reflecting its original Latin meaning of disclosing something that is unclear. | |||
| Welsh | esboniad | ||
| The term "esboniad" also refers to a form of Welsh poetry similar to a sermon. | |||
Explanation in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | тлумачэнне | ||
| The Belarusian word "тлумачэнне" (explanation) is derived from the Old Slavonic word "tlъkъ", which means "sense, meaning, interpretation, explanation." | |||
| Bosnian | objašnjenje | ||
| "Objašnjenje" is derived from the verb "objasniti", which means "make clear" or "to explain" in Slavic languages. | |||
| Bulgarian | обяснение | ||
| The word "обяснение" in Bulgarian can also mean "excuse" or "justification". | |||
| Czech | vysvětlení | ||
| The Czech word "vysvětlení" can also be a colloquial expression meaning "a big problem". | |||
| Estonian | selgitus | ||
| The word "selgitus" also has other meanings, including "clarification" and "interpretation". | |||
| Finnish | selitys | ||
| The word 'selitys' has roots in the Indo-European word stem *sekw-, meaning 'to follow', and also has a secondary meaning of 'excuse'. | |||
| Hungarian | magyarázat | ||
| "Magyarázat" also means "exculpation" and "apology" in Hungarian. | |||
| Latvian | paskaidrojums | ||
| "Paskaidrojums" is derived from the verb "paskaidrot" which means "to make clear" or "to shed light on". | |||
| Lithuanian | paaiškinimas | ||
| The word "paaiškinimas" in Lithuanian is derived from the verb "aiškinti" (to explain, to clarify), and also has the alternate meaning of "commentary". | |||
| Macedonian | објаснување | ||
| Polish | wyjaśnienie | ||
| "Wyjaśnienie" is a Polish word that literally translates to "explanation" in English, but it can also mean "statement" or "account". | |||
| Romanian | explicaţie | ||
| The Romanian word "explicaţie" is derived from the Latin word "explicatio" and also refers to a justification for an absence from school. | |||
| Russian | объяснение | ||
| The word "объяснение" also has the alternate meaning of "justification" in Russian. | |||
| Serbian | објашњење | ||
| The Serbian word "објашњење" also means "excuse" or "apology". | |||
| Slovak | vysvetlenie | ||
| "Vysvetlenie" can also refer to a clarification or interpretation. | |||
| Slovenian | razlago | ||
| The cognate Old Church Slavonic verb “razlagati” could mean “to interpret”, “to reveal”, “to translate” and “to set apart”. | |||
| Ukrainian | пояснення | ||
| The Ukrainian word "пояснення" comes from the verb "пояснити," meaning "to make clear or understandable." | |||
Explanation in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | ব্যাখ্যা | ||
| The word "ব্যাখ্যা" comes from Sanskrit "व्याख्या" (vyAkhyA), which also means "interpretation" or "commentary". | |||
| Gujarati | સમજૂતી | ||
| The word "સમજૂતી" comes from the Sanskrit word "samjña" meaning "knowledge, understanding". | |||
| Hindi | व्याख्या | ||
| As the word व्याख्या is derived from | |||
| Kannada | ವಿವರಣೆ | ||
| The word 'ವಿವರಣೆ' also refers to 'description' and 'representation' in Kannada. | |||
| Malayalam | വിശദീകരണം | ||
| The word "വിശദീകരണം" comes from the Sanskrit word "विवरण" (vivāraṇa), which means "making known, clear, or distinct." | |||
| Marathi | स्पष्टीकरण | ||
| The word 'स्पष्टीकरण' in Marathi comes from the Sanskrit word 'स्पष्ट', meaning 'clear' or 'evident'. | |||
| Nepali | स्पष्टीकरण | ||
| Nepali word "स्पष्टीकरण" can also mean "clarification" or "interpretation". | |||
| Punjabi | ਵਿਆਖਿਆ | ||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | පැහැදිලි කිරීම | ||
| Tamil | விளக்கம் | ||
| The Tamil word விளக்கம் also means "lamp", with a common etymology based on the concept of "illumination". | |||
| Telugu | వివరణ | ||
| Urdu | وضاحت | ||
| Urdu word “وضاحت” means "Explanation." Urdu is heavily influenced by Arabic and Persian etymology | |||
Explanation in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 说明 | ||
| The second character 明 also shares the meanings of "brightness" and "clarity" as in the word for "tomorrow" 明天.} | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 說明 | ||
| 說明 may also mean a bill of lading in Chinese. | |||
| Japanese | 説明 | ||
| Though it now means 'explanation,' the etymology of '説明' implies it originally meant 'a picture that shows' something. | |||
| Korean | 설명 | ||
| "설명" can also refer to "the act or fact of elucidating" in Korean. | |||
| Mongolian | тайлбар | ||
| From Russian "пояснение" or "объяснение". Borrowed form Russian in the 1930s. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ရှင်းပြချက် | ||
Explanation in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | penjelasan | ||
| "Penjelasan" can also mean "opinion" or "meaning." | |||
| Javanese | panjelasan | ||
| "Panjelasan" can also refer to a Javanese traditional performing art that involves storytelling. | |||
| Khmer | ការពន្យល់ | ||
| The word "ការពន្យល់" is also used to mean "understanding", "conception", or "interpretation" in Khmer. | |||
| Lao | ຄຳ ອະທິບາຍ | ||
| Malay | penjelasan | ||
| The Malay word "penjelasan" can also refer to a "disclosure" or a "clarification". | |||
| Thai | คำอธิบาย | ||
| The Thai word "คำอธิบาย" is derived from the Sanskrit word "vyākaraṇa", which originally referred to the study of language. | |||
| Vietnamese | giải trình | ||
| "Giải trình" in Vietnamese is a polysemic word with a historical root in the Chinese language, where it signifies the act of 'defending' (trình), 'exposing' (giải), and 'rebutting' (giải) something. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pagpapaliwanag | ||
Explanation in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | izahat | ||
| "İzahat" (explanation) is commonly used in the context of providing additional information or clarification, but it can also refer to a specific type of poem or prose in Azerbaijani literature that typically includes philosophical or didactic content. | |||
| Kazakh | түсіндіру | ||
| Түсіндіру (explanation) ultimately derives from the Old Turkic verb "tüşün-" (to understand). | |||
| Kyrgyz | түшүндүрмө | ||
| It is derived from the verb “түшүн-“ (“understand”) and can also mean “meaning.” | |||
| Tajik | шарҳ | ||
| "Шарҳ" (explanation) in Tajik also means "condition". | |||
| Turkmen | düşündiriş | ||
| Uzbek | tushuntirish | ||
| The word "tushuntirish" can also mean "to clarify" or "to make something clear". | |||
| Uyghur | چۈشەندۈرۈش | ||
Explanation in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | hoakaka | ||
| Hoakaka, meaning "explanation" in Hawaiian, also refers to a type of Polynesian dance. | |||
| Maori | whakamarama | ||
| Whakamarama also refers to the act of making something known, clarifying something, or spreading knowledge. | |||
| Samoan | faʻamatalaga | ||
| The Samoan word "faʻamatalaga" can also mean "to inform" or "to give an account of something." | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | paliwanag | ||
| The word "paliwanag" in Tagalog (Filipino) literally means "to make clear and bright," highlighting its illuminating purpose in conveying understanding. | |||
Explanation in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | qhananchawi | ||
| Guarani | myesakãrã | ||
Explanation in International Languages
| Esperanto | klarigo | ||
| Latin | explicandum | ||
| Explicandum is also used in philosophy to refer to the concept or idea that is being explained or made clear. | |||
Explanation in Others Languages
| Greek | εξήγηση | ||
| "Εξήγηση" can also mean "confession" or "disclosure", derived from the verb "εξηγούμαι" (to explain, confess, disclose). | |||
| Hmong | kev piav qhia | ||
| The word "kev piav qhia" can also mean "to make clear" or "to clarify". | |||
| Kurdish | daxûyanî | ||
| The word "daxûyanî" also means "clarification" and "interpretation" in Kurdish. | |||
| Turkish | açıklama | ||
| The word "açıklama" can also refer to an excuse or a justification. | |||
| Xhosa | inkcazo | ||
| The Xhosa word "inkcazo" derives from the verb "chaza" meaning "to reveal" or "to make known". | |||
| Yiddish | דערקלערונג | ||
| In Yiddish, the word "דערקלערונג" can also refer to a legal document such as a will or testament. | |||
| Zulu | incazelo | ||
| The word "incazelo" in Zulu can also refer to a reason, justification, or account. | |||
| Assamese | ব্যাখ্যা | ||
| Aymara | qhananchawi | ||
| Bhojpuri | व्याख्या | ||
| Dhivehi | ތަފްޞީލު | ||
| Dogri | बजाह्त | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | pagpapaliwanag | ||
| Guarani | myesakãrã | ||
| Ilocano | panangilawlawag | ||
| Krio | fɔ ɛksplen | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | ڕوونکردنەوە | ||
| Maithili | वर्णन | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯁꯟꯗꯣꯛꯅ ꯇꯥꯛꯄ | ||
| Mizo | hrilhfiahna | ||
| Oromo | ibsa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ବ୍ୟାଖ୍ୟା | ||
| Quechua | willay | ||
| Sanskrit | विवरण | ||
| Tatar | аңлату | ||
| Tigrinya | መግለጺ | ||
| Tsonga | nhlamuselo | ||