音読み: セツ・セチ
訓読み: とく
画数: 14
部首: 訁（ごんべん）
Meaning
Explain / Persuade / Theory / Speak
- Basic forms
- 説く — to explain; to preach; to persuade / base form
- 説きます — explain; preach / masu form
- 説いた — explained; preached / ta-form
- 説いて — explain and … / te-form
- 説かない — do not explain; do not preach / negative
- 説けば — if (you) explain / conditional
- 説け・説きなさい — explain it! / imperative
- Common expressions
- 理由を説く — explain the reason
- 真理を説く — preach the truth
- 相手を説く — persuade someone
- More
- 説こう — let’s explain; I will explain / 〜よう form
- 説かなかった — didn’t explain / past negative
- 説いている — is explaining; is preaching / progressive
説く（とく） is a godan verb ending in く. It is used for “explaining” ideas or reasons, “preaching” beliefs, and also “persuading” a person.
- 小説 — novel
- 説明 — explanation
- 伝説 — legend
- 説得 — persuasion
- 解説 — commentary
- 仮説 — hypothesis
- 持説 — personal view
- 学説 — academic theory
The left part is 言 (speech). The right part suggests movement or guidance. Together, 説 means “to explain with words to guide understanding.”
先生が 丁寧に 説いてくれました。
The teacher explained it carefully.
彼を 説得するのは 難しい。
It’s difficult to persuade him.
説明 — explanation