説明|せつめいsetsumei[0]heiban (flat)

1. noun, suru verb, transitive verbexplanation; exposition; description; account; caption; legend
   私に規則きそくを説明せつめいして下ください。↗

   Please explain the rule to me.

• Synonym解説かいせつNeutralExplains key points, meaning or background to help understanding; 「説明」 is the general word for making something clear to someone.
• Synonym釈明しゃくめいWrittenWritten. Explaining your situation to clear up a misunderstanding or answer criticism, seeking understanding; 「説明」 need not respond to blame.
• Synonym弁解べんかいNeutralDefending your own actions or suspected wrongdoing, often with a flavor of making excuses; 「説明」 does not necessarily defend you.
• Synonym記述きじゅつNeutralRecording facts objectively in writing; the emphasis is on putting it down in words, while 「説明」 can also be done orally.
• Synonym注釈ちゅうしゃくWrittenAdding notes that explain words or phrases in a text, attached to the text itself; 「説明」 is not limited to annotating texts.
• Synonym言い開きいいひらきWrittenDated written word for stating your reasons to clear yourself; ordinary explanation is 「説明」, and vindication can also be 「弁明」.
• Synonym申し開きもうしひらきWrittenSolemnly stating your reasons to justify yourself, as in 「申し開きができない」; 「説明」 has far broader uses.
• Synonym釈義しゃくぎWrittenScholarly term for explaining the meaning of scriptures, texts or phrases; 「説明」 is the ordinary word for explaining things to someone.
• Synonym叙説じょせつWrittenWritten. Narrating and explaining in an orderly, systematic way; everyday explanations normally use 「説明」.
• Synonym通釈つうしゃくWrittenExplaining the meaning of a text or poem clearly; also refers to the explanation itself. 「説明」 is not limited to texts.
• Synonym通解つうかいWrittenInterpreting a text through from start to finish, stressing overall understanding; 「説明」 can also cover parts of a text or everyday matters.
• Synonym陳弁ちんべんWrittenWritten. Stating the facts to defend yourself, with the emphasis on self-justification; ordinary explanation is 「説明」.
• Synonym講説こうせつWrittenExplaining by lecturing; also what is lectured. Everyday explanation is 「説明」, and a lecture can be called 「講義」.
• Synonym疎明そめいFormalFormal legal term: presenting evidence and reasons to convince a judge; general explanation is 「説明」.
• Synonym説示せつじFormalFormal and solemn: laying out principles or teachings clearly; everyday explanations usually use 「説明」.
• Synonym衍義えんぎWrittenWritten. Expanding on the original meaning and explaining it in detail; 「説明」 need not involve extending the original sense.
• Related明示めいじWrittenWritten. Making conditions and the like explicit, stressing that nothing is left vague; 「説明」 aims at helping the other person understand.
• Related言い訳いいわけNeutralGiving reasons for your behavior, usually with the negative nuance of making excuses; 「説明」 itself carries no such judgment.
• Related解明かいめいWrittenWritten. Elucidating the truth or a cause, as in 「原因を解明する」; 「説明」 is about conveying content so others understand.
• Related解釈かいしゃくNeutralInterpreting or construing a meaning, from the understander's side; 「説明」 is about putting what you understand into words for others.
• Antonym黙秘もくひFormalAntonym. Formal: staying silent and refusing to speak, chiefly in interrogation; it opposes 「説明」 in whether one speaks at all.
• Antonym沈黙ちんもくNeutralAntonym. Contrasts with 「説明」 in the sense of saying nothing at all; it can also mean silence as the absence of sound.

Default to 「説明」 for explaining or describing something. Use 「解説」 for walking through key points or background, 「釈明」 for clearing up a misunderstanding or answering criticism, 「言い訳」 or 「弁解」 for defending yourself or making excuses, 「解明」 for uncovering a cause or the truth, and 「解釈」 for interpreting meaning. The rest are mostly written, formal or rare terms for special contexts.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

1. それがどんなものかを相手あいてに分わかるように言いうこと。
2. それがどんなものかを相手あいてに分わかるように言ゆう。