How do you say "Could you explain it?" in Japanese?

"Could you explain it?" in Japanese is "説明してもらえますか。". This phrase is commonly used in Japan.

What does "説明してもらえますか。" mean in English?

"説明してもらえますか。" means "Could you explain it?" in English. Usage tip: [説明してもらえますか] is a very natural request. Even softer: [説明していただけますか] (business/polite).

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How to Say ‘Could you explain it?’ in Japanese

説明してもらえますか。

setsumei shi te morae masu ka

[setsu-may shee teh moh-rah-eh mah-su kah]

💬 Usage Tip: [説明してもらえますか] is a very natural request. Even softer: [説明していただけますか] (business/polite).

🇯🇵 In Japan: In Japan, “softening” requests matters—this phrase feels collaborative rather than demanding.

Phrase Breakdown

説明

setsumei

[setsu-may]

explanation / description

「説明」= explanation. 「説明してもらえますか」で「説明してくれますか」と近い丁寧な依頼になります。

Example

この文法を説明してもらえますか。

Could you explain this grammar point to me?

し

shi

[shee]

do (stem of する)

「する」の連用形「し」。ここでは「説明し＋て」で「説明して（explain）」になります。

Example

もう一度説明してもらえますか。

Could you explain it again?

て

[teh]

-te form ending

「て」= て形。依頼表現「〜て＋もらえますか」で「could you … for me?」の形を作ります。

Example

ゆっくり説明してもらえますか。

Could you explain slowly?

もらえ

morae

[moh-rah-eh]

can receive / could you (do for me)

「もらえる」= can receive (a favor). 「〜てもらえる」= someone can do it for me → 依頼に使うと丁寧。

Example

ここをもう少し説明してもらえますか。

Could you explain this part a little more?

ます

masu

[mah-su]

polite verb ending (-masu)

「ます」で丁寧な依頼になります。より丁寧にすると「もらえますでしょうか」などもあります。

Example

確認してもらえますか。

Could you check it for me?

か

[kah]

question particle

「か」で依頼を質問の形にします。語尾を上げると自然です。

Example

手順を説明してもらえますか。

Could you explain the procedure?

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