说清楚 (shuō qīngchǔ) — say clearly / explain clearly

说清楚 (shuō qīngchǔ)

说清楚 is a verb-complement structure. 说 (to speak / say) is the base verb and 清楚 (clear / clearly) is the result complement, showing that the act of speaking achieves clarity. The negative form 说不清楚 means "can't explain clearly." 没说清楚 means "didn't explain clearly."

Structure

说 (speak) + 清楚 (result complement: clear) = speak with the result of being clear.

Other complements that can follow 说: 说完 (finish saying), 说对 (say correctly), 说错 (say incorrectly).

Example Sentences

请你把这件事说清楚。 Qǐng nǐ bǎ zhè jiàn shì shuō qīngchǔ. Please explain this matter clearly.

他说不清楚自己的想法。 Tā shuō bù qīngchǔ zìjǐ de xiǎngfǎ. He cannot clearly express his own thoughts.

我没说清楚，让你误会了。 Wǒ méi shuō qīngchǔ, ràng nǐ wùhuì le. I did not explain it clearly and caused you to misunderstand.

你能不能说清楚，我听不太懂。 Nǐ néng bù néng shuō qīngchǔ, wǒ tīng bù tài dǒng. Can you say it clearly? I don't quite understand.

Collocations

Memory Hook

说 is your mouth working. 清楚 is a bright, unmuddied view (清 means clear water; 楚 means distinct). When you 说清楚, your words are like clear water — the listener can see straight to the bottom.