Learn French: Explique-la-lui, la règle de la pioche ! - Explain it to him, the rule of the draw pile!

Explique-la-lui, la règle de la pioche !

Explain it to him, the rule of the draw pile!

Breakdown of Explique-la-lui, la règle de la pioche !

lui

him / to him / to her (indirect object)

of / from / any (in negative sentences) / about (concerning)

la règle

the rule

her, it (feminine direct object pronoun)

Questions & Answers about Explique-la-lui, la règle de la pioche !

Why is the pronoun order -la-lui here?

In affirmative commands, pronouns are attached to the end of the verb with hyphens. The order is strict: the direct object (le, la, les) always comes before the indirect object (moi, toi, lui, nous, vous, leur). That gives us Explique-la-lui (Explain it to him or her).

Why does the sentence use the pronoun la if it immediately specifies la règle at the end?

This is a very common spoken French structure called right-dislocation. The speaker first uses the pronoun la so the core command flows naturally (Explique-la-lui), and then tacks on la règle de la pioche at the end to clarify exactly what la refers to.

What does la pioche mean in this context?

While une pioche literally means a pickaxe, in the context of card games or board games it means the draw pile. It comes from the verb piocher, which means to draw a card or tile.

Since this is an informal command to one person, why isn't it Expliques with an s at the end?