“Explain Me” vs. “Explain to Me”: What’s the Difference?

A line illustration of two people with their mouth open, and a giant question mark between them.

The difference between “explain me” and “explain to me”

  • "Explain me" is incorrect, while "explain to me" is the proper phrasing.
  • The use of "to" in "explain to me" indicates the recipient of the explanation.
Communicate naturally with Engram AI proofreader

What is the definition of “explain me” and “explain to me”?

Explain me
  • This is an incorrect phrase that is not grammatically correct.
  • It should be replaced with "explain to me".
Explain to me
  • "Explain to me" is a polite request for someone to provide information or clarification on a topic.
  • The word "to" is a preposition indicating the recipient of the explanation.

Which is the more popular variant on the Internet?

“Explain to me” is the more popular variant on the web.
Explain me
2,920,000 results on the web
Examples
  1. This is an incorrect phrase that is not grammatically correct.
More popular
Explain to me
22,100,000 results on the web
Examples
  1. Can you explain to me how a computer works?
  2. Please explain to me why this decision was made.
  3. I'm not familiar with this topic, can you explain it to me in simpler terms?
Want to express yourself confidently?
Engram AI proofreader helps you
communicate naturally
An illustration of a person writing freely on their laptop, using Engram.An illustration of a person writing freely on their laptop, using Engram.

Related articles