How to Say "to investigate" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “to investigate” is “investigar” — use 'investigar' when formally looking into a crime, a significant problem, or a mystery, often by authorities.
investigar
in-bes-ti-GARin.bes.tiˈɣaɾ
Examples
La policía está investigando el robo en el banco.
The police are investigating the bank robbery.
¿Quién investigó la causa del accidente?
Who investigated the cause of the accident?
Necesitamos investigar si este producto es seguro antes de usarlo.
We need to investigate whether this product is safe before using it.
Verbs Ending in -gar
To keep the hard 'g' sound (like in 'go') when the ending starts with 'e', you must add a 'u'. This happens in the 'yo' preterite (investigué) and all present subjunctive forms (investigue, investiguemos).
Preterite Spelling Error
Mistake: “Yo investigé (missing the 'u')”
Correction: Yo investigué (including the 'u'). If you write 'investigé', it would sound like 'in-ves-ti-HEH' instead of 'in-ves-ti-GEH'.
averiguar
ah-veh-ree-GWAHRaβeɾiˈɣwaɾ
Examples
Necesito averiguar a qué hora sale el tren de mañana.
I need to find out what time the train leaves tomorrow.
La policía está averiguando la causa del incendio.
The police are investigating the cause of the fire.
Cuando averigüe la verdad, te lo diré inmediatamente.
When I find out the truth, I will tell you immediately.
When to use Subjunctive
Since 'averiguar' means to gain knowledge, it often introduces a factual statement, usually triggering the normal (indicative) verb form: 'Averiguo que está aquí.' However, if you use it in a time phrase (like 'cuando') about the future, you must use the special form (subjunctive): 'Cuando lo averigüe...'
Spelling the Preterite 'Yo' Form
Mistake: “Using 'yo averigué' (pronouncing 'averi-GEH')”
Correction: You must write 'yo averigüé' (with the dots, called a 'diéresis' or umlaut) to keep the 'gwah' sound. If you don't add the dots, the word changes pronunciation to 'geh,' which is incorrect.
indagar
een-dah-GAHRindaˈɣaɾ
Examples
La policía decidió indagar más sobre el caso.
The police decided to investigate further into the case.
Es importante indagar en la historia de la empresa antes de aceptar el trabajo.
It's important to look into the company's history before accepting the job.
Quiero indagar sobre mis antepasados.
I want to look into my ancestors.
The 'G' to 'GU' Spelling Change
When 'indagar' is followed by an 'e' sound (like in the past 'yo' form or the special 'wishes' form), the 'g' changes to 'gu' to keep the hard 'G' sound (like in 'game'). Without the 'u', it would sound like a 'j' sound.
Prepositions with Indagar
You can use 'indagar' on its own, but it's very common to follow it with 'sobre' (about) or 'en' (in/into) when mentioning the subject of your investigation.
Using it for simple questions
Mistake: “Me indagó la hora.”
Correction: Me preguntó la hora. (Use 'preguntar' for simple questions; 'indagar' is for deeper looking into things.)
Missing the 'u' in writing
Mistake: “Yo indagé sobre el problema.”
Correction: Yo indagué sobre el problema. (Don't forget the 'u' in the 'yo' past tense!)
explorar
eks-plo-RAReks.ploˈɾaɾ
Examples
Necesitamos explorar nuevas opciones para reducir los costos.
We need to explore new options to reduce costs.
Ella exploró sus sentimientos antes de tomar una decisión.
She examined her feelings before making a decision.
El equipo decidió explorar la viabilidad del proyecto.
The team decided to investigate the feasibility of the project.
Figurative Use
Just like in English, 'explorar' can be used figuratively to mean 'thinking deeply about' or 'researching' something that isn't physical, like an idea or a solution.
Investigar vs. Averiguar
Related Translations
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