Explain : v.tr. (word from latin explain “deploy, develop”, plicare, plier).
The verb “explain” has many meanings:
I) Do know ou understand :
1. Do know, understand clearly, in developing.
Explain their projects, their intentions to someone (explain, exhibit).
Explain your main.
– Quote from the French playwright and poet Pierre Corneille (1606-1784): “Explain, explain better the substance of your thought” (Express).
It would be too much long to explain.
Things : constitute un pattern comprehensible of (manifest, show, prove, betray).
2. Return clear, do understand (what is or seems obscure) (comment, clarify, enlighten).
Explain a text difficult, a theorem.
– Quote from the French biologist and doctor François Jacob (1920-2013): “To explain a phenomenon is to consider it as the visible effect of a hidden cause”.
Explain and comment on the sentence of… (in an essay topic).
explain a symbol (interpret).
Explain a riddle Affair (unravel, disentangle, elucidate).
Explain the direction of a word (to define).
Explain with examples (illustrate), by a demonstration.
Se doing explain something.
Phrase: Explain why and how: donner of explanations very complex.
– Quote from the French poet, painter, draftsman, playwright and filmmaker Jean Cocteau (1889-1963): “People demand that we explain poetry to them. They are unaware that poetry is a closed world where one receives very little”.
Absolute: This teacher explains well.
– Quote from the French writer André Malraux (1901-1976): “A good intellectual, he wanted not only to explain, but to convince”.
Give the indications, recipe (For doing something) (to learn, to teach).
Explain to sb the rule an game (show).
Explain to me how to doing.
Things: Quote from the French historian Numa Denis Fustel de Coulanges (1830-1889): “An institution is sometimes explained by the word which designates it”.
Notice that explains how to be used an object (explanatory), the Fashion byemployment an apparatus.
3. Do know la reason, causes of something).
explain a phénomène.
Explain why: give the causes, reason.
How can this sudden reversal be explained?
Can you explain your delay? (justify, motivate).
Tell me what you're doing here.
Things: Being there causes, reason visible of ; realized that.
This explains many things !
This explains that.
4. Explain that (and indicative or conditional): doing understand than.
– Quote from the French writer and philosopher Simone de Beauvoir (1908-1986): “He explained to me seriously that he is in love with little Josette”.
He explained to me that this would change nothing
Explain that (and subjunctive): Give of raisons : How do you explain that he can vivre with such low income?
Explain something: find the reason, causes of something).
We explain ourselves easily whether Satisfied.
I find it hard to understand what you are doing here, your présence.
– Quote from the French writer and editor Jacques Chardonne, pen name of Jacques Boutelleau (1884-1968): “It was not clear how the exquisite aroma of coffee beans could be transformed into this very bitter drink”.
It is inexplicable that she no longer writes.
II) Pronominal verb: To explain:
1. Do know sa thought, to way duty.
– Quote from the French playwright and actor Molière (1622-1673): “Here is a boy who speaks clearly, who explains himself well”.
I do not know if I explained myself well.
Let me explain: I women of details on what I just said.
Explain yourself !
2. Return reason an does, An opinion.
She has explained what she is accused of; she explained (justified).
To explain oneself to someone, to justify oneself to him.
3. Reciprocal verb: To have a discussion.
You should explain yourself.
They explained themselves and for even if put Okay.
Familiar: Se beat.
They left to explain themselves outside.
4. Passive verb: To be or to be made intelligible.
This accident can only be explained by negligence.
La chose self-explanatory (Go self).
Everything is explained.
Opposites of explaining: to confuse, to obscure.