explain
verb[IorT]
uk/ɪkˈspleɪn/us/ɪkˈspleɪn/A2
to make somethingclearoreasytounderstandbydescribingor givinginformationabout it:
解释；说明；阐明If there's anything you don'tunderstand, I'll behappyto explain.如果你有什么不懂的地方，我会很乐意为你讲解。
Theteacherexplained therulestothechildren.老师向孩子们说明规则。
[+ question word]Ourguideexplainedwherethecathedralwas.导游给我们讲解了大教堂的位置。
He explainedhowthemachineworked.他解释了这台机器的工作原理。
Please could you explainwhy you're so late.你能否解释一下你迟到这么久的原因？
[+ that]She explainedthatshe was going tostaywith hersister.她解释说她要去和妹妹一起住。
[+ speech]"Someone must havehitthewrongbutton," anofficialexplained.“一定有人误碰了按钮，”一位官员解释说。
Mollyaskedtheteacherif she could explain herselfa little moreclearly(= say moreclearlywhat shemeant).莫莉请求老师能否讲得更清楚些。
No one has beenableto explain(= give thereasonfor)theaccident.还没有人能解释事故的原因。
to explain something
- explainCan you explain that again?
- clarifyLet me just clarify what I mean here.
- defineYour responsibilities are clearly defined in the contract.
- set outYour contract will set out the terms of your employment.
- set forthThe terms of the statute are set forth in Section I, Article 3.
- spell outThey sent me a letter spelling out the details of the agreement.
to answer someone
- answer"Thank you", she answered.
- replyThe man replied that something was missing.
- respondWe aim to respond to all enquiries within five working days.
- reactHe reacted positively to the proposal.
- get back toI'll look into it and get back to you.
- explain"What happened?" she asked. - "There's no time to explain!" he said.
explainyourself
to givereasonsforyourbehaviour:
为自己的行为作出说明（或解释）He hadn't beenhomefor threedaysso Iaskedhim to explain himself.他一连3天没有回家，所以我要他解释一下怎么回事儿。
I'm not going to explain myself to someone who has never done a day'sworkintheirlife.
If they get thevideo, you'll be explaining yourself to apoliceofficerin the very nearfuture.
If theycatchus in here, we're going to have a hardtimeexplaining ourselves.
Why would you do such a thing? Goahead- explain yourselves.
- Shetriedto explain what hadhappenedbut hekeptinterruptingher.
- Anydecentteachershould beableto explain thedifferencebetweentransitiveandintransitiveverbs.
- Payattentionto what she's saying because she won't explain it a secondtime.
- Shepainstakinglyexplained how themachineworked.
- Thisbookletabout theprojectexplains things in aneasy, non-technical way.
Defining & explaining
- account (tosomeone) forsomething
- accountability
- adduce
- adumbration
- annotation
- annotator
- demystify
- demythologize
- explicable
- explicate
- expound
- lay
- misdescribe
- miswrite
- nail
- nailsomeonedown
- non-defining
- non-descriptive
- outline
- trace
Grammar
Explain
We use the verb explain to mean ‘make something clear or easy to understand, by describing or giving information about it’.…Phrasal verb
explainsomethingaway