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explicar

ess-plee-CAR/eks.pliˈkaɾ/

“explicar” means “to explain” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:

to explain, to clarify

VerbA1regular (-ar ending) with a minor spelling change (c to qu) to maintain the hard 'k' sound in some forms. ar
A storybook illustration of an adult pointing at a simple drawing of a sun on a whiteboard, clearly explaining a concept to a child who is listening attentively and nodding.
past Participleexplicado
infinitiveexplicar
gerundexplicando

📝 In Action

El profesor explicó la lección de gramática muy lentamente.

A1

The teacher explained the grammar lesson very slowly.

¿Puedes explicarme por qué llegaste tarde otra vez?

A2

Can you explain to me why you arrived late again?

Necesitamos que nos expliques el plan antes de empezar.

B1

We need you to explain the plan to us before starting.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • aclarar (to clarify)
  • detallar (to detail)

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • explicar la razón – to explain the reason
  • explicar un concepto – to explain a concept

to explain oneself, to make sense

Also: to be understood
VerbB1Reflexive (explicarse) ar
A storybook illustration of a person standing alone and confidently gesturing outward with open hands, with a large, bright, empty speech bubble floating above them, representing the moment their own thoughts become clear.
past Participleexplicado
infinitiveexplicarse
gerundexplicándose

📝 In Action

Perdón, no me expliqué bien. Lo que quiero decir es diferente.

B1

Sorry, I didn't explain myself well. What I mean is different.

Su comportamiento no se explica, es completamente ilógico.

B2

His behavior doesn't make sense (or can't be explained); it is completely illogical.

Es difícil explicarse cuando estás nervioso.

B1

It is difficult to express yourself clearly when you are nervous.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • expresarse (to express oneself)

Common Collocations

  • explicarse con claridad – to explain oneself clearly

🔄 Conjugations

subjunctive

imperfect

túexplicaras/explicases
vosotrosexplicarais/explicaseis
nosotrosexplicáramos/explicásemos
yoexplicara/explicase
él/ella/ustedexplicara/explicase
ellos/ellas/ustedesexplicaran/explicasen

present

túexpliques
vosotrosexpliquéis
nosotrosexpliquemos
yoexplique
él/ella/ustedexplique
ellos/ellas/ustedesexpliquen

indicative

preterite

túexplicaste
vosotrosexplicasteis
nosotrosexplicamos
yoexpliqué
él/ella/ustedexplicó
ellos/ellas/ustedesexplicaron

imperfect

túexplicabas
vosotrosexplicabais
nosotrosexplicábamos
yoexplicaba
él/ella/ustedexplicaba
ellos/ellas/ustedesexplicaban

present

túexplicas
vosotrosexplicáis
nosotrosexplicamos
yoexplico
él/ella/ustedexplica
ellos/ellas/ustedesexplican
View All Tenses & Moods →

🔀 Commonly Confused With

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: explicar

Question 1 of 2

Which sentence correctly uses 'explicar' to apologize for poor communication?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
la explicación(the explanation (noun)) — Noun
explicativo(explanatory (adjective)) — Adjective
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

Comes from the Latin verb *explicāre*, which originally meant 'to unroll,' 'to unfold,' or 'to spread out.' The idea is that when you explain something, you are 'unfolding' the information so others can see it clearly.

First recorded: 13th century

Cognates (Related words)

English: explicateFrench: expliquer

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'explicar' regular or irregular?

It is a regular verb in terms of its endings, but it has a very common and predictable spelling change (c to qu) in certain forms (like the 'yo' preterite and the subjunctive) to maintain the hard 'k' sound.

How is 'explicar' different from 'describir'?

'Explicar' focuses on giving reasons, clarifying meaning, or showing how something works. 'Describir' (to describe) focuses on detailing the physical features or characteristics of something.