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explicarme

ex-plee-KAR-meh/ekspliˈkaɾme/

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

explain to me

Also: tell me how
VerbA1regular ar
A friendly teacher pointing to a colorful map while a student listens attentively.
gerundexplicando
past Participleexplicado
infinitiveexplicar

📝 In Action

¿Puedes explicarme cómo llegar al hotel?

A1

Can you explain to me how to get to the hotel?

Necesitas explicarme por qué llegaste tarde.

A2

You need to explain to me why you arrived late.

Él va a explicarme el plan mañana.

A1

He is going to explain the plan to me tomorrow.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • aclararme (to clarify for me)
  • enseñarme (to show/teach me)

Antonyms

  • ocultarme (to hide from me)
  • confundirme (to confuse me)

Common Collocations

  • querer explicarme – to want to explain to me
  • intentar explicarme – to try to explain to me
  • sin explicarme – without explaining to me

to explain myself, to make myself clear

VerbB1reflexive ar
A person gesturing with their hands while speaking to a group of friends to clarify a point.
gerundexplicándose
past Participleexplicado
infinitiveexplicarse

📝 In Action

No sé si acabo de explicarme bien.

B1

I don't know if I just made myself clear.

Déjame explicarme antes de enojarte.

B1

Let me explain myself before you get angry.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • expresarme (to express myself)

Common Collocations

  • déjame explicarme – let me explain myself
  • difícil de explicarme – hard for me to explain myself

🔄 Conjugations

subjunctive

imperfect

ellos/ellas/ustedesme explicaran
yome explicara
túme explicaras
vosotrosme explicarais
nosotrosme explicáramos
él/ella/ustedme explicara

present

ellos/ellas/ustedesme expliquen
yome explique
túme expliques
vosotrosme expliquéis
nosotrosme expliquemos
él/ella/ustedme explique

indicative

preterite

ellos/ellas/ustedesme explicaron
yome explicaste
túme explicaste
vosotrosme explicasteis
nosotrosme explicamos
él/ella/ustedme explicó

imperfect

ellos/ellas/ustedesme explicaban
yome explicaba
túme explicabas
vosotrosme explicabais
nosotrosme explicábamos
él/ella/ustedme explicaba

present

ellos/ellas/ustedesme explican
yome explico
túme explicas
vosotrosme explicáis
nosotrosme explicamos
él/ella/ustedme explica
View All Tenses & Moods →

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: explicarme

Question 1 of 2

What is the difference between 'explicar' and 'explicarme'?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
explicar(to explain) — Verb
explicación(explanation) — Noun
explicable(explainable) — Adjective
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

From the Latin 'explicare', which literally meant 'to unfold' or 'unroll' (like a scroll), combined with the Spanish first-person pronoun 'me'.

First recorded: 13th century (base verb)

Cognates (Related words)

English: explicitFrench: expliquer

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why is 'me' at the end of the word?

In Spanish, when a verb is in its infinitive form (ending in -ar, -er, or -ir), object pronouns like 'me' must be attached to the end of the verb to form a single word.

Does 'explicarme' ever change?

If you change the person receiving the explanation, the ending changes: 'explicarte' (to explain to you), 'explicarle' (to explain to him/her).