I'm going to explain (to) you (2025)

Hello!

I wonder if I have to use 'to' when I write explain.

Context: an informal email.

Hey, Lucas!

Last weekend was wild. I'm going to explain you...

Do I have to use to between the verb and the object?

Thanks a lot.

explain
If you explain something, you give details about it so that it can be understood.
The head teacher should be able to

the school's teaching policy.
You say that you explain something to someone.
Let me

you about Jackie.
We explained everything

the police.
Be careful
You must use to in sentences like these. Don't say, for example, ‘Let me explain you about Jackie’.

Americanxtie said:

Last weekend was wild. I'm going to explain you...

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In that case, "you" becomes the direct object of the verb. That is, What is explained? You are explained.

In the old TV show I Love Lucy, the character Ricky Ricardo (Cuban) was famous for telling Lucy "Lemme 'splain you something" (= Let me explain you something). It was grammatically wrong, which is why it was funny. The correct form is "Let me explain something to you."

Agró said:

Let me

explain to

you about Jackie.

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I must say that I would not know how to, um, explain to an English learner why you can say "Let me tell you about Jackie," but not *"Let me explain you about Jackie."

User With No Name said:

I must say that I would not know how to, um, explain to an English learner why you can say "Let me tell you about Jackie," but not *"Let me explain you about Jackie."

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That's beyond me, too.

I guess it's the same answer as what I gave a Japanese friend who asked me, "If we say 'yesterday was Saturday' and "today is Sunday,' why do we say 'tomorrow is Monday' rather than 'will be Monday'?"

Porque sí.

Then, Last weekend was wild. I'm going to explain you is not correct, right?

Sorry, I'm very confused.

Americanxtie said:

hen, Last weekend was wild. I'm going to explain you is not correct, right?

Sorry, I'm very confused.

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You are correct. "I'm going to explain you" is wrong, except in the unlikely event that you intend to say "I am going to describe your personality and behavior to some other person."

Americanxtie said:

Last weekend was wild. I'm going to explain you is not correct, right?

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User has already answered your question, but I'll add that "explain" doesn't fit that sentence anyway. We would use tell you about it, describe it [for you], etc.

"Explain" never takes an indirect object, but it allows an adjunct in the form of a prepositional phrase:

I'm going to explain that to you.
I'm going to explain that for you.
I'm going to explain that to you for the record.
I'm going to explain you that.