explain to them vs explain them

Both "explain to them" and "explain them" are correct, but they are used in different contexts. "Explain to them" is used when you want to clarify something to a specific group of people, while "explain them" is not a common phrase in English.

Last updated: April 12, 2024 • 629 views

explain to them

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English.

This phrase is used when you want to provide clarification or information to a specific group of people.

Examples:

Can you explain to them how the new system works?
I need to explain to them why we made this decision.

Show examples from the web [+]

If the word 'them' refers to the people who need the explanation (indirect object - dative case), then it has to be 'explain to them'. For example: 'I'll call ...
Definition of explain to them in the Idioms Dictionary. explain to them phrase. What does explain to them expression mean? Definitions by the largest Idiom ...
Albert Camus — 'I didn't like having to explain to them, so I just shut up, smoked a cigarette, and looked at the sea.'
Nov 27, 2021 ... “Most of the parents feel helpless” – “I usually explain to them that their children are normal, but the circumstances are not”.
You can explain to them that, even though you hear their beliefs, you would like the chance to speak to a mental health professional based on your ...
Teach your children to trust the 911 operator - explain to them that 911 is their friend and a source of help to them during an emergency.
May 3, 2016 ... To be a model of respect for kids, explain to them why these things are important. Although it may feel easiest to rush through awkward ...
Jul 4, 2019 ... “You can explain to them that migraine is a neurological disease, meaning a condition that affects the brain and the nervous system,” Dr.

Alternatives:

clarify to them
describe to them
make clear to them
elaborate to them
shed light on to them

explain them

This phrase is correct but not commonly used in English.

This phrase is less common and may sound awkward. It is better to use "explain to them" for clarity and naturalness.

Show examples from the web [+]

The only way that you can use 'explain them' is if the pronoun 'them' is the direct object of the verb (accusative case) ie the thing which is being explained ...
Racial/ethnic and nativity disparities in U.S. Covid-19 vaccination hesitancy during vaccine rollout and factors that explain them. Soc Sci Med.
Citation. Baucom, D. H. (1987). Attributions in distressed relations: How can we explain them? In D. Perlman & S. Duck (Eds.), Intimate relationships: ...
... that no-one laughs, and the people who tell them think people didn't get the joke because they didn't understand it so that they have to explain them.
Apr 23, 2019 ... Before I look at seven of the most common CV gaps and how to explain them during a job interview, I wanted to firstly start by sharing some ...
OA.D.9. Identify arithmetic patterns (including patterns in the addition table or multiplication table), and explain them using properties of operations.

Alternatives:

explain it to them
explain the situation to them
provide an explanation to them
give them an explanation
make them understand

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