briefly tell vs briefly explain

Both are correct phrases, but they're used in slightly different contexts. "Briefly tell" is commonly used when you want someone to provide a short description or summary of something. On the other hand, "briefly explain" is used when you want someone to give a concise clarification or justification.

Explained by Miss E.
Editor at TextRanch

Last updated: March 30, 2025 • 5485 views

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English.

"briefly tell"

This phrase is used when you want someone to provide a short description or summary of something.

Examples:

Can you briefly tell me about your trip?
Please briefly tell us what happened at the meeting.

Show examples from the web [+]

Let me very briefly tell you what I mean by this, synthesizing the work of many economic historians in the process.
Mimi, can you briefly tell us?
Sólveig, can you briefly tell us what happened here?
So before I talk about this car for the blind, let me briefly tell you about another project that I worked on called the DARPA Urban Challenge.
Moving on from this, I will briefly tell you about the progress made in the first year since the White Paper was adopted.
I wish briefly to tell my fellow Members that we are at the end of a very long negotiation.
Mr President, I shall just speak very briefly to tell Mr De Keyser that he must have been wrongly informed.
I'll tell you briefly what I think of newspapermen.
I would like to tell you briefly about our own experience.
I would prefer to tell you briefly why I decided some time ago to stand for the European Parliament.
I would now briefly like to tell you of our assessment, firstly of the military crisis in Chechnya and, secondly of the humanitarian crisis there.
That, Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, is what I wanted to tell you briefly, given the time constraints and that I do not want to detain you further.
I should like to tell you briefly how I, as rapporteur for the committee responsible, the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Consumer Policy, assess the proposal.
Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, I should first of all like to thank Mr Crowley and the committees responsible for their work and their support for the SLIM me tell you briefly what stage we have reached and what we are proposing to do next.
As far as Jerusalem is concerned, let me tell you briefly that the Palestinian position is based on the fact that Jerusalem is part of the Palestinian territory occupied in 1967.The same rules applied to the other Palestinian territories must also be applied to Jerusalem.
But my background - I want to tell you story only briefly.
Let me just tell you, briefly, my personal journey, which led me to come to this point.
I should mention briefly here that physiology textbooks that you can read about will tell you that this is a kind of heretical thing to suggest.
On this subject, I would like to tell the plenary briefly that our negotiating team, chaired by Mr Lewandowski, has reached an agreement with the representatives of the Commission and Council.
Romans 8:18 tells us that "the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." Our persecution by the Antichrist and his followers will last only briefly, perhaps even just 10 days.

Alternatives:

briefly describe
briefly summarize
briefly outline
briefly narrate
briefly recount

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English.

"briefly explain"

This phrase is used when you want someone to give a concise clarification or justification.

Examples:

Can you briefly explain the concept to me?
Please briefly explain your reasoning for the decision.

Show examples from the web [+]

Perhaps I can briefly explain why the socialist MEPs are very pleased today.
I should like to take this opportunity to briefly explain our reasoning behind some of these amendments.
I will now move on to briefly explain the key points.
Before concluding, I would like to briefly explain what you will not find in the Commission work programme and why.
I would like to use this opportunity to again briefly explain to the plenary why it is, in our opinion, that we should not have a debate without Parliament's opinion being expressed.
If this is the case, will the Commission briefly explain why the exercise of a right is deemed by the Commission to run counter to the commitments set out in the 31 January 2008 Agreement?
Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, let me briefly explain why my group is about to reject the compromise resolution in the vote.
Before finishing, I would like to briefly explain a number of innovations in the work programme.
In order to ensure that this subject is properly understood and to avoid any misunderstandings, I would also like to briefly explain the origins of this report and the motivation behind it.
I wish to briefly explain the manner in which I voted in order to attract the attention of the Maltese authorities.
Please briefly explain whether and if yes, how the minimum criteria for environmental inspection [2] are taken into account for the control of the facilities falling under the scope of the Directive.
Where a collective investment undertaking may invest in excess of 40 % of its gross assets in another collective investment undertaking the summary should briefly explain either:
If so, please briefly explain the process that gives the Convention and QDs the force of law.
Madam President, I should just like to briefly explain why I supported Amendment No 35, which could be described as a "wrecking amendment".
Let me briefly explain the motivation for tabling this amendment.
I shall briefly explain the reason for the oral amendment.
Allow me to briefly explain the main actions and measures included in this Plan.
Let me briefly explain my own judgment.
Mr President, I will very briefly explain the position of the Commission.
Perhaps Mr Swoboda can briefly explain what is behind this.

Alternatives:

briefly clarify
briefly elucidate
briefly expound
briefly explicate
briefly interpret

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briefly tell vs briefly explain

"briefly tell"

"briefly explain"

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