explained us

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "explained us" is not correct in standard written English.
It is typically used incorrectly when someone intends to say that someone explained something to them. Example: "The teacher explained us the concept of gravity." should be "The teacher explained the concept of gravity to us."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

7 human-written examples

We were too busy being proudly Hungarian; it explained us.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

The 50's and 60's were the great age of the Big Notion: the pseudoscientific book that explained us to ourselves and told us where we were headed, which in most cases was nowhere good.

The New York Times - Magazine

Patrick explained us that he sees some overlap with PayPal but fundamentally the two companies have different approaches to how they are tackling problems in the space.

TechCrunch

I've explained British TV and real football to him, he's explained US politics and fake football to me.

Vice

I've explained British TV and real football to him, he's explained US politics, fake football, and guns to me.

Vice

When she was here she explained us, [there is] no need to worry.

BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

53 human-written examples

US President Barack Obama has held a televised address to the nation to explain US policy on Syria's alleged use of chemical weapons.

BBC

"And it will help explain us to them.

The New York Times

US President Barack Obama has given a televised address to the nation to explain US policy on Syria's chemical weapons.

BBC

"Before anything can be shipped it has to be stripped, which is a challenge in itself," explains US spokesman Mark Wright.

BBC

It will explain us to each other; it will unriddle many riddles...."....

Huffington Post

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When referring to a group of people, ensure the verb 'explain' is followed by 'to' and then the object pronoun (e.g., 'us', 'them', 'him').

Common error

The verb 'explain' requires a direct object to receive the action, and an indirect object specifies to whom the action is directed. Therefore, avoid omitting the preposition 'to' before the indirect object when using the verb 'explain'.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "explained us" is an incorrect use of the verb 'explain'. 'Explain' is a transitive verb that requires the preposition 'to' when indicating to whom something is explained. Ludwig AI highlights this error by indicating that the correct form is 'explained to us'.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Science

30%

Formal & Business

20%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "explained us" is grammatically incorrect and should be avoided in formal writing. The correct phrasing is "explained to us". As Ludwig AI points out, the verb 'explain' requires the preposition 'to' when indicating the recipient of the explanation. While examples of the incorrect phrase exist in various sources, including news and scientific articles, this does not validate its usage. Instead, prioritize using alternatives such as "clarified for us" or "detailed for us" for clearer and more accurate communication.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

explained to us

This is the grammatically correct way to phrase the idea of someone explaining something to a group.

clarified for us

This suggests making something clearer or easier to understand for the group.

detailed for us

This emphasizes providing a comprehensive explanation with specific information.

illustrated to us

This suggests using examples or visuals to make the explanation clearer.

walked us through

This implies a step-by-step explanation or demonstration of a process.

gave us an explanation

This is a more formal and indirect way of saying "explained to us".

enlightened us about

This indicates providing new knowledge or understanding about a topic.

informed us about

This focuses on conveying information rather than necessarily clarifying understanding.

instructed us on

This implies providing specific directions or guidelines.

advised us on

This indicates offering guidance or recommendations.

FAQs

What is the correct way to say that someone gave us an explanation?

The correct way to say that someone gave you an explanation is to say "explained to us". For example, "The teacher "explained to us" how to solve the problem."

What are some alternatives to "explained to us"?

Alternatives to "explained to us" include "clarified for us", "detailed for us", or "illustrated to us", depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Why is "explained us" grammatically incorrect?

The verb 'explain' needs the preposition 'to' when followed by an indirect object (like 'us'). Without 'to', the sentence structure is incorrect. The proper construction is "explained to us".

How can I avoid making the mistake of saying "explained us"?

Remember to always include the preposition 'to' when you want to express that someone provided an explanation to a group of people. So, always say "explained to us", "explained to them", etc.