解释

• Pinyin: jiě shì
• Hanzi breakdown: 解 = 角 (horn) + 刀 (knife) + 牛 (ox) — to cut apart, hence to resolve or untie; 释 = 釆 (distinguish) + 睪 (phonetic) — to release or explain

Meaning

To explain; to interpret. Making something clear by providing details, reasons, or context.

Used when clarifying misunderstandings, explaining concepts, or providing justification for actions. Common collocations include 解释原因 (explain the reason), 解释清楚 (explain clearly), 做出解释 (provide an explanation), and 无法解释 (cannot be explained). Can function as both a verb and a noun.

Examples

1. 老师耐心地给学生解释了这道题的做法。 The teacher patiently explained how to solve this problem to the students.
2. 你能解释一下为什么迟到了吗？ Can you explain why you were late?
3. 这个词很难解释，你最好查一下词典。 This word is hard to explain; you had better look it up in a dictionary.

Usage Guide

Context: education, communication, misunderstandings

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 请你解释一下这句话的意思。(Please explain the meaning of this sentence.)
• 我不需要你的解释。(I don't need your explanation.)

Don't Say

• 他解释我去了医院 (Don't use 解释 with a clause as direct object this way — say 他解释说他去了医院 or 他说明了去医院的原因)

Origin & History

A compound of 解 (to untie/resolve) and 释 (to release/explain), together suggesting untangling confusion and making something clear.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal