How do you say "explain" in Japanese?

説明する

setsumeisu ru

Verb Kanji

In Japanese, "explain" is 説明する (setsumeisu ru).

Listen to the pronunciation:

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Pronunciation

Se-tsu-mei-su-ru, five syllables, 'mei' glides like the English name 'May' rather than two separate sounds.

Writing and usage

説明する is written using kanji. It's a verb, and this word is also taught inside the Noun Town language learning game, where it appears in interactive lessons alongside hundreds of other everyday words.

Example sentence

この言葉について説明してもらえますか?

kono kotoba nitsuite setsumeishi temoraemasuka?

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How to remember 説明する

Setsumei sounds like 'set, sue, may' — you might explain yourself before anyone decides to sue.

Related words

Browse all Japanese words in the glossary.

Questions about 説明する

How do you pronounce 説明する?

Se-tsu-mei-su-ru, five syllables, 'mei' glides like the English name 'May' rather than two separate sounds.

Is 説明する formal or casual?

説明する is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech. The level of formality comes from the sentence structure around it, not from the word itself.

How is 説明する written in Japanese?

説明する is written using kanji. Romanised, it reads as setsumeisu ru.

Where can I practice Japanese words for free?

You can play free Japanese minigames in your browser on the Noun Town online games page, with no sign-up needed. Every word in the Japanese glossary also has native audio and an example sentence you can revisit any time.

"Explain" in other languages

Curated by Callan Ratcliffe

This word is part of the vocabulary taught in the Japanese 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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