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Chinese vocabulary · Beginner
How do you say "can you explain this" in Chinese?
你能解释一下吗？
nǐ néng jiě shì yī xià ma ？
In Chinese, "can you explain this" is 你能解释一下吗？ (nǐ néng jiě shì yī xià ma ？).
Listen to the pronunciation:
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Pronunciation
nǐ néng jiě shì yī xià ma ？ comes out with "nǐ" dipped low then curled back up (third tone), then "néng" pushed upward like a question (second tone), then "jiě" dipped low then curled back up (third tone), then "shì" snapped down sharply (fourth tone), then "yī" held flat and high (first tone), then "xià" snapped down sharply (fourth tone), then "ma" kept light and neutral, then "？" kept light and neutral.
Writing and usage
你能解释一下吗？ is written using hanzi. It's a phrase, part of the vocabulary taught in the Noun Town language learning game.
Example sentence
can you explain this
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How to remember 你能解释一下吗？
Hold this scene in mind: can you explain this, paired tightly with the sound "nǐ néng jiě shì yī xià ma ？" — that's the whole trick.
Related words
- how do you spell that 那个怎么拼写
- what does this word mean 这个词是什么意思
- i dont know the answer 我不知道答案
- can you help me with my homework 你能帮我做作业吗
- whats the word for 这个词的意思是什么
- how do you pronounce this 这个怎么发音？
- can you correct me 你能纠正我吗
- i made a mistake 我犯了个错误
- lets practice together 我们一起练习吧
Browse all Chinese words in the glossary.
Questions about 你能解释一下吗？
How do you pronounce 你能解释一下吗？?
nǐ néng jiě shì yī xià ma ？ comes out with "nǐ" dipped low then curled back up (third tone), then "néng" pushed upward like a question (second tone), then "jiě" dipped low then curled back up (third tone), then "shì" snapped down sharply (fourth tone), then "yī" held flat and high (first tone), then "xià" snapped down sharply (fourth tone), then "ma" kept light and neutral, then "？" kept light and neutral.
Is 你能解释一下吗？ formal or casual?
你能解释一下吗？ is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech.
How is 你能解释一下吗？ used in Chinese?
你能解释一下吗？ is used the same way as the equivalent English phrase. For example: (can you explain this).
Where can I practice Chinese words for free?
You can play free Chinese minigames in your browser on the Noun Town online games page, no sign-up required. Every word in the Chinese glossary also has native audio and an example sentence you can revisit any time.
"Can you explain this" in other languages
Curated by Callan Ratcliffe
This word is part of the vocabulary taught in the Chinese language learning game Noun Town, where words are introduced through play rather than memorisation. Want to play the full game? Get Noun Town on Steam.
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