Explain

[irmamar]

Do you prefer saying:

Explain to somebody something

or

Explain something to somebody?

Or it doesn't matter?

Forgive me so many questions, I have an exam next week.

Thanks.

[chileno]

Originally Posted by irmamar

Do you prefer saying:

Explain to somebody something

or

Explain something to somebody?

Or it doesn't matter?

Forgive me so many questions, I have an exam next week.

Thanks.

Creo que es lo mismo y también creo que sería mejor:

Explaining something to somebody.

[poli]

Originally Posted by irmamar

Do you prefer saying:

Explain to somebody something

or

Explain something to somebody?

Or it doesn't matter?

Forgive me so many questions, I have an exam next week.

Thanks.

Explain something to somebody.
or Explain somebody something (notice that in this case we leave out the word to in the second example

[chileno]

Originally Posted by poli

Explain something to somebody.
or Explain somebody something (notice that in this case we leave out the word to in the second example

oops, yes, sorry...

[hermit]

Best to ask all the questions before the exam, right?

Feel free...

[CrOtALiTo]

Originally Posted by irmamar

Do you prefer saying:

Explain to somebody something

or

Explain something to somebody?

Or it doesn't matter?

Forgive me so many questions, I have an exam next week.

Thanks.

I prefer the the second choice.

I don't know it could be also correct in the English.

[Perikles]

Originally Posted by poli

Explain something to somebody.
or Explain somebody something (notice that in this case we leave out the word to in the second example

I think Irma is learning specifically BrE, in which case that second one is definitely not something she should use.

[irmamar]

Originally Posted by Perikles

I think Irma is learning specifically BrE, in which case that second one is definitely not something she should use.

Shouldn't I? Why? I've been taught that I can say both "tell me something" or "tell something to me", although the first one is more common.

[Perikles]

Originally Posted by irmamar

Shouldn't I? Why? I've been taught that I can say both "tell me something" or "tell something to me", although the first one is more common.

Yes, yes. You can say "tell me something" but you would never say "explain me something".

[irmamar]

Originally Posted by Perikles

Yes, yes. You can say "tell me something" but you would never say "explain me something".

glups...

explain to me, then? neither?

[Perikles]

Originally Posted by irmamar

"tell me something" or "tell something to me" ,

Originally Posted by irmamar

explain to me,

explain something to me
tell me something

Just tell me why on earth you did that.
Just explain to me why on earth you did that.

Tell me why that joke is funny.
Explain to me why that joke is funny.

Explain the theory of relativity to me.
Tell me about the theory of relativity (not necessarily an explanation)

----------------------------------
Edit: You can say

Tell me a story
Tell a story to me but this is a special case, I think.

[irmamar]

Thanks, but you could say that before

And between the two ways of saying that, do you prefer "explain to me somehting" or "explain something to me"?.

Thank you, sir.

[Perikles]

Originally Posted by irmamar

Thanks, but you could say that before

And between the two ways of saying that, do you prefer "explain to me somehting" or "explain something to me"?.

... but you could have said that before.

The position of to me after explain depends on the length of the sentence, because the gap should not be too large:

Explain that joke to me
Explain to me that joke

Explain why you went on holiday for three weeks spending all our money to me
Explain to me why you went on holiday for three weeks spending all our money

Do you have a problem with your keyboard?

[hermit]

"Explain something to me."

Ah, Perikles covered it nicely...

[chileno]

Originally Posted by hermit

"Explain something to me."

Ah, Perikles covered it nicely...

Yes! If he could provide the translation, it would be superb.

[Elaina]

Yes! Explain something to me.

Never.........Explain to me something.

[chileno]

Originally Posted by Elaina

Yes! Explain something to me.

Never.........Explain to me something.

Never...never?

[pjt33]

I would say "Explain to me <question>" but "Explain <noun> to me".

E.g. "Explain to me which of you did what"; "Explain everyone's role to me".

"Explain <question> to me" risks confusion as the question probably has a verb and so the final dative can be ambiguous or incorrectly bound.

[CrOtALiTo]

Originally Posted by irmamar

Shouldn't I? Why? I've been taught that I can say both "tell me something" or "tell something to me", although the first one is more common.

Irmamar.

I have bee thinking the same than you.
Shouldn't I.
Yes you should to do it.

I would choice the second ones.
But I believe that both choices are acceptable.