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claro

KLAH-rohˈkla.ɾo

clear, bright, light

Also: pale
A sun-filled room with a window showing a clear, cloudless blue sky, illustrating the meaning of 'claro' as bright and clear.

📝 In Action

El agua del río está muy clara.

A1

The river water is very clear.

Necesitamos una habitación más clara para leer.

A2

We need a brighter room to read.

Me gusta el color azul claro.

A1

I like the color light blue.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • cielo claro – clear sky
  • verde claro – light green
  • agua clara – clear water

clear, obvious

Also: plain, evident
A teacher explaining a simple concept, with a student understanding perfectly, representing 'claro' as easy to understand.

📝 In Action

Sus instrucciones fueron muy claras.

A2

Her instructions were very clear.

Es claro que no estudió para el examen.

B1

It's obvious that he didn't study for the exam.

¿Lo tienes claro?

B1

Is it clear to you? / Do you get it?

Word Connections

Synonyms

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • dejar claro – to make clear
  • tener claro – to be sure about, to have a clear idea of

clearly

Also: plainly
A person speaking clearly into a microphone, illustrating 'claro' used as an adverb to mean 'clearly'.

📝 In Action

Por favor, habla más claro, no te entiendo.

A2

Please, speak more clearly, I don't understand you.

No veo claro sin mis gafas.

B1

I don't see clearly without my glasses.

Él siempre piensa muy claro antes de actuar.

B2

He always thinks very clearly before acting.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • claramente (clearly)
  • nítidamente (sharply, clearly)

Antonyms

  • confusamente (confusingly)

Common Collocations

  • hablar claro – to speak clearly / to speak frankly
  • ver claro – to see clearly

of course, sure

Also: right, obviously
InterjectionA1informal
Two friends talking, one asks a question and the other gives an enthusiastic thumbs-up, representing '¡Claro!' as 'Of course!'.

📝 In Action

- ¿Me ayudas? - ¡Claro!

A1

- Can you help me? - Of course!

Claro que sí, puedes contar conmigo.

A2

Of course, you can count on me.

Claro, lo entiendo perfectamente.

B1

Right, I understand it perfectly.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • por supuesto (of course)
  • desde luego (certainly)
  • claro que sí (yes, of course)

Antonyms

  • claro que no (of course not)
  • de ninguna manera (no way)

clearing

Also: gap, opening
NounmB2
A sunny clearing in a forest, representing 'un claro' as a noun.

📝 In Action

Vimos un ciervo en un claro del bosque.

B2

We saw a deer in a clearing in the forest.

A través de un claro en las nubes, vimos la luna.

C1

Through a gap in the clouds, we saw the moon.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • raso (open space)

Common Collocations

  • un claro en el bosque – a clearing in the woods

🔀 Commonly Confused With

Translate to Spanish

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: claro

Question 1 of 3

Which sentence uses 'claro' to mean 'of course'?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
claridad(clarity, clearness) — Noun
claramente(clearly) — Adverb
aclarar(to clarify, to clear up) — Verb
clarificar(to clarify) — Verb
clarividente(clairvoyant) — Adjective / Noun
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

Comes from the Latin word 'clārus', which meant 'clear', 'bright', and also 'famous' or 'renowned'. All the Spanish meanings of light, understanding, and obviousness come directly from this root.

First recorded: Around the 10th century

Cognates (Related words)

English: clearFrench: clairItalian: chiaroPortuguese: claro

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Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between 'claro' and 'claramente'?

They both mean 'clearly'. 'Claramente' is the more 'proper' adverb, but in everyday speech, people often just say 'claro' after a verb (like 'habla claro'). Using 'claro' sounds a bit more natural and conversational.

When should I use '¡Claro!' versus '¡Por supuesto!'?

'¡Claro!' is more common, friendly, and informal, like saying 'Sure!' or 'Of course!'. '¡Por supuesto!' is also very common but can sound a little more formal or emphatic, like 'Certainly!' or 'Without a doubt!'. You can use them interchangeably in most situations.

How do I say 'to make something clear'?

The most common phrase is 'dejar claro'. For example, 'Quiero dejar claro que no estoy de acuerdo' means 'I want to make it clear that I don't agree'. Another option is 'aclarar', which means 'to clarify'.