Key Facts
- Hangul: 설명하다 (seolmyeonghada)
- Meaning: to explain
- Level: A2
- Part of speech: verb
- Stem: 설명하
- Conjugation class: 하다 type
- Grammar: The thing explained takes 을/를; the person takes 에게/한테: 학생에게 문법을 설명해요.
- Usage: Common in school and work. Polite request: 설명해 주세요.
What Does 설명하다 Mean?
It takes two kinds of partner: the thing explained, marked with 을/를, and the listener, marked with 에게 or 한테. 문법을 설명하다 is the textbook case, and school and work are where you hear it most.
Senses:
- to explain: Make something clear to someone: 문법을 설명하다.
How Do You Pronounce 설명하다?
설명하다 is read close to its spelling. In the formal present, the ㅂ of 합 turns into [ㅁ] before ㄴ, so 설명합니다 is [설명함니다]. In the past, 설명했어요 is [설명해써요]: the ㅆ carries over to the next syllable and stays tense.
How Do You Use 설명하다 in a Sentence?
선생님이 문법을 설명해요.
The teacher explains the grammar.
선생님이 문법을 설명해요 gives the teacher as the subject, marked with the subject particle, and the explained thing with 을/를. No listener is named because the class is understood.
친구에게 규칙을 설명했어요.
I explained the rules to my friend.
친구에게 규칙을 설명했어요 names the listener with 에게. The explained object 규칙 stays on 을/를, and 설명했어요 puts the act in the past.
내일 다시 설명할 거예요.
I will explain again tomorrow.
내일 다시 설명할 거예요 is the plan form. 다시 means again, and 설명할 거예요 is [설명할꺼예요] when spoken.
How Does Seolmyeonghada Conjugation Work?
설명하다 follows the 하다 pattern. Before 아 or 어 the 하 and 여 contract to 해, giving 설명해요 and 설명했어요. Before endings that start with a consonant the stem stays whole, as in 설명하면, 설명하는 and 설명하세요.
설명하다
| Form | Korean | Romanization | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 설명해요 | ||
| Polite past | 설명했어요 | ||
| Polite future (plan) | 설명할 거예요 | ||
| Polite future (intention or guess) | 설명하겠어요 | ||
| Formal present | 설명합니다 | ||
| Formal past | 설명했습니다 | ||
| Formal future | 설명할 것입니다 | ||
| Casual present | 설명해 | ||
| Casual past | 설명했어 | ||
| Casual future | 설명할 거야 | ||
| Want to (polite) | 설명하고 싶어요 | ||
| Honorific polite | 설명하세요 | ||
| Because / and then | 설명해서 | ||
| If (conditional) | 설명하면 | ||
| Present modifier (before a noun) | 설명하는 | ||
| Past modifier (before a noun) | 설명한 | ||
| Future modifier (before a noun) | 설명할 | ||
| Negative with 안 (short) | 설명 안 해요 | ||
| Negative (long form) | 설명하지 않아요 |
Sound Changes
| Form | Korean | Sounds like |
|---|---|---|
| Polite past | 설명했어요 | [설명해써요] |
| Polite future (plan) | 설명할 거예요 | [설명할꺼예요] |
| Polite future (intention or guess) | 설명하겠어요 | [설명하게써요] |
| Formal present | 설명합니다 | [설명함니다] |
| Formal past | 설명했습니다 | [설명핻씀니다] |
| Formal future | 설명할 것입니다 | [설명할꺼심니다] |
| Casual past | 설명했어 | [설명해써] |
| Casual future | 설명할 거야 | [설명할꺼야] |
| Want to (polite) | 설명하고 싶어요 | [설명하고 시퍼요] |
| Negative (long form) | 설명하지 않아요 | [설명하지 아나요] |
Common Mistake
Wrong: ✗ 친구를 설명해요.
Correct: ✓ 친구에게 설명해요.
Why: In English you explain something to a person, and learners carry the person straight onto 을/를. In Korean 을/를 belongs to the thing explained. The listener takes 에게 or 한테.
What Is Easy to Confuse with 설명하다?
| Word | How to tell it from 설명하다 |
|---|---|
| 말하다 | 말하다 is just to say; 설명하다 is making something clear. |
| 이야기하다 | 이야기하다 is chatting or telling; 설명하다 is explaining a thing. |
말하다 only means to say, so it can describe any utterance. 설명하다 is narrower: the speaker is trying to make something understood. 이야기하다 is chatting or telling a story, while 설명하다 works on one specific subject.
Where Does 설명하다 Turn Up?
Polite requests are common with this verb, and 설명해 주세요 is the form for asking a teacher or colleague to explain. Its neighbours 소개하다 and 이해하다 cover presenting a person and grasping an idea.
Dialogue: Learning the Rules before a Board Game
Two friends are about to play. One knows the rules; the other needs an explanation before the first turn.
Nari:
규칙을 다시 설명해 주세요.
Gyuchigeul dasi seolmyeonghae juseyo.
Please explain the rules again.
Leo:
네, 제가 설명할 거예요.
Ne, jega seolmyeonghal geoyeyo.
Yes, I will explain.
Nari:
이 카드도 설명해 주세요.
I kadeudo seolmyeonghae juseyo.
Please explain this card too.
Leo:
그 카드는 아까 설명했어요.
Geu kadeuneun akka seolmyeonghaesseoyo.
I explained that card earlier.
설명해 주세요 requests help, 설명할 거예요 announces a plan, and 설명했어요 refers back to an explanation already given. 다시 means again; 아까 means earlier, usually within the same day. The speakers can leave out “to me” because the listener is clear.
Which Collocations Make an Explanation Clearer?
- 자세히 설명하다 — to explain in detail. 자세히 asks for more detail, such as all the steps of a procedure. It does not necessarily ask for simpler language.
- 쉽게 설명하다 — to explain simply. 쉽게 focuses on making the explanation easy to understand. Someone may need this even after hearing a detailed explanation.
- 다시 설명하다 — to explain again. 다시 requests repetition. Add the unclear topic so the speaker knows which part to repeat.
- 이유를 설명하다 — to explain the reason. 이유 is the object. This phrase asks why something happened or why a choice was made, rather than how to perform a task.
These are literal combinations. The adverb tells the speaker what kind of help is needed. A long explanation can still be difficult, so “in detail” and “simply” solve different problems. For a game, the unclear point might be the turn order; in a workplace, it might be the reason for a delay.
Where Will You Hear or See 설명하다?
Teachers explain grammar, colleagues explain procedures, and staff explain how equipment works. The noun 설명 appears in 설명서, an instruction manual. A manual explains a product's use, while a live explanation lets the listener ask for clarification. Both share the idea of making something understood.
A presentation may use 설명합니다, while everyday conversation often uses 설명해요. 설명해 주세요 is a polite request, but a request to a senior person can be softened further with a question such as 설명해 주실 수 있어요? It means “Could you explain?” Keep the topic specific so the person knows what to address.
Explaining and understanding are different actions. 설명하다 describes what the speaker does; 이해하다 describes what the listener grasps. Saying that someone explained a rule does not guarantee that everyone understood it. This distinction helps when reporting a lesson or asking for a second explanation.
Which Grammar Choices Cause Trouble?
The noun 설명 can stand alone, as in an “explanation,” or combine with 하다 in the single verb 설명하다. You can also say 설명을 하다, with the object marker and a space before 하다. In 설명해 주세요, leave a space before 주세요 in this page's request pattern.
For a respectful report about a teacher, 설명하세요 can describe the teacher's action when the context makes it a statement. The same form can also be a request to explain. Context and intonation matter, so translating every 세요 form as an order can give the wrong meaning.
The person explained to takes 에게 or 한테, but a person can also be the topic being described. 친구를 설명해요 could mean describing what a friend is like; it does not mean explaining something to that friend. To express the latter, use 친구에게 and name the topic with 을/를.
Words That Surround an Explanation
| Korean | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 설명 | explanation | The noun inside 설명하다. |
| 규칙 | rule | A natural object when learning a game or procedure. |
| 이유 | reason | Focuses an explanation on why. |
| 자료 | materials; data | May support an explanation in a meeting. |
The Korean meetings vocabulary lesson places 설명 alongside presentation materials, questions, and decisions.
Mini Drill: Who Hears What?
- Complete “explain the rules to a friend”: 친구___ 규칙___ 설명해요.
- Write the polite past of 설명하다.
- Choose 자세히 or 쉽게 for “in detail.”
- Make the plan form: “I will explain.”
Show drill answers
- 친구에게 규칙을 설명해요. 한테 also works in conversation.
- 설명했어요.
- 자세히.
- 설명할 거예요.
Quick Self-Test
- Which noun means an instruction manual?
- Does 설명하다 guarantee that the listener understands?
- Which word asks for repetition: 다시 or 이유?
Show answers
- 설명서.
- No. Understanding is 이해하다.
- 다시, meaning again.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do I Ask Someone to Explain Something?
설명해 주세요 is the polite request. Add the topic with 을/를 before it.
Which Particle Marks the Person I Explain To?
Use 에게, or 한테 in speech, for the listener. 을/를 marks what is being explained, not the listener.
Is 설명하다 an Irregular Verb?
No. It is a regular 하다 verb, and 하 plus 여 contracts to 해 before 아 and 어 endings.
How Is 설명하다 Different from 이야기하다?
이야기하다 is chatting or telling, while 설명하다 is explaining a thing so it becomes clear.
Which Words Are Related to 설명하다?
What Should You Learn Next?
Read 소개하다 next to see a verb with the same 하다 shape, then 이해하다. The rule behind 설명해요 (to explain) is in 하다 to 해요, and the Korean verb conjugator tests other stems. For the negative of 설명하다 (to explain), see negating 하다 verbs. 설명하다 (to explain) sits beside 말하다 and 이야기하다 in the Korean verb dictionary.