clarear
/kla.ɾiˈa(ʁ)/
The English phrase clarify can be translated into Portuguese using several verbs, most commonly clarear. Wiktionary also lists clarificar and aclarar.
Meaning: (''transitive'') to make clear or easily understood (verb)
Ways to say it
| Portuguese | IPA |
|---|---|
| clarear | /kla.ɾiˈa(ʁ)/ (Brazil) /klaˈɾja(ʁ)/ (Brazil) /kla.ɾeˈa(ʁ)/ (Brazil) /kla.ɾiˈa(ɾ)/ (São Paulo) /klaˈɾja(ɾ)/ (São Paulo) /kla.ɾeˈa(ɾ)/ (São Paulo) /kla.ɾiˈa(ʁ)/ (Rio de Janeiro) /klaˈɾja(ʁ)/ (Rio de Janeiro) /kla.ɾeˈa(ʁ)/ (Rio de Janeiro) /kla.ɾiˈa(ɻ)/ (Caipira) /klaˈɾja(ɻ)/ (Caipira) /kla.ɾeˈa(ɻ)/ (Caipira) /klɐˈɾjaɾ/ (Portugal) /klɐˈɾja.ɾi/ (Portugal, Southern) |
| clarificar | /kla.ɾi.fiˈka(ʁ)/ (Brazil) /kla.ɾi.fiˈka(ɾ)/ (São Paulo) /kla.ɾi.fiˈka(ʁ)/ (Rio de Janeiro) /kla.ɾi.fiˈka(ɻ)/ (Caipira) /klɐ.ɾi.fiˈkaɾ/ (Portugal) /klɐ.ɾi.fiˈka.ɾi/ (Portugal, Southern) |
| aclarar | /a.klaˈɾa(ʁ)/ (Brazil) /a.klaˈɾa(ɾ)/ (São Paulo) /a.klaˈɾa(ʁ)/ (Rio de Janeiro) /a.klaˈɾa(ɻ)/ (Caipira) /ɐ.klɐˈɾaɾ/ (Portugal) /ɐ.klɐˈɾa.ɾi/ (Portugal, Southern) |
All forms of the word are transitive verbs used to make something clear or easily understood.
How do you pronounce it?
/kla.ɾiˈa(ʁ)/. The word has 3 syllables, with the stress on the 3rd syllable.
Did you know?
- The verb clarear is frequently used to describe the process of bleaching hair or lightening skin, moving beyond the idea of making a concept easy to understand.
- The word claro, which forms the basis of these verbs, is also one of the most common ways to say 'of course' or 'obviously' in daily Portuguese conversation.
- While clarificar is a direct cousin of the English 'clarify', the verb clarear is often used for physical light, such as when the sun begins to 'clarear' the sky at dawn.
Examples in context
- Professor, pode aclarar sua resposta?Teacher, can you clarify your answer?This example shows how to ask a teacher to use aclarar to clarify an answer.
- Por favor, poderia esclarecer esse ponto?Could you please clarify this point?
- Precisamos tornar claro o objetivo desse projetoWe need to make the objective of this project clear.
- Você poderia especificar o prazo de entrega?Could you specify the deadline?
- Posso tirar uma dúvida sobre o seu e-mail?Can I clarify a doubt about your email?
- Deixa claro o que você quis dizerMake it clear what you meant.
- Não entendi muito bem, você poderia explicar melhor?I didn't quite understand, could you explain it better?
- Vou dar um jeito de te explicar melhor depoisI'll find a way to explain it better to you later.
Example conversation
Two colleagues are discussing a project task.
- LucasJuliana, eu não entendi essa parte.Juliana, I didn't understand this part.
- JulianaO que eu preciso clarear para você, Lucas?What do I need to clarify for you, Lucas?
- LucasA data de entrega do relatório.The delivery date of the report.
- JulianaAh, o prazo final é sexta-feira.Oh, the deadline is Friday.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “clarify” translations and entries clarear, clarificar, aclarar, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
