explicar
/eɡspliˈkaɾ/
The English verb "explain" is translated into Spanish as explicar.
Explicar is the most general term for "explain" in Spanish. Depending on the specific nuance you want to convey, you might choose a more precise verb: use aclarar to mean "clarify" or "elaborate on", detallar when you want someone to provide a detailed explanation or exponer when someone needs to present or explain a topic extensively.
Meaning: excuse (verb)
Which one should you use?
In informal situations, you may also use contar to mean "explain" specifically when you are sharing a story or providing details about an event.
How do you pronounce it?
/eɡspliˈkaɾ/
Did you know?
- In many Spanish-speaking contexts, if you ask someone to explicar a behavior, it can sound much more accusatory or confrontational than the English 'explain'.
- The verb explicar shares the same ancient roots as the English word 'plain', through the Latin 'plicare' meaning 'to fold'.
- In a literal sense, to explicar something is to 'unfold' it, as if you were smoothing out a folded piece of cloth.
Examples in context
- Se lo explicaré a él.I will explain it to him.This sentence shows how to use explicar in the future tense.Tatoeba #1864312 by marcelostockle, translation #476271 by minshirui
- No lo puedo explicar.I can't explain it.This sentence demonstrates using explicar with a negative verb to show inability.Tatoeba #2795723 by marcelostockle, translation #1951587 by CK
- ¿Me lo puede explicar?Can you explain it to me?This sentence illustrates how to use explicar when asking a question.Tatoeba #5780376 by MrMultilingual, translation #619769 by ulyssemc1
- Por favor, explique el procedimiento paso a paso.Please explain the procedure step by step.
- Detalle los requisitos necesarios para la solicitud de beca.Please detail the necessary requirements for the scholarship application.
- El profesor expuso las teorías económicas durante la conferencia.The professor explained the economic theories during the conference.
- ¿Me puedes explicar cómo funciona esta aplicación?Can you explain to me how this app works?
- 187 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Daniel is late for a meeting with Sofía.
- SofíaLlegas tarde, Daniel.You are late, Daniel.
- DanielLo siento, puedo explicarlo ahora.I'm sorry, I can explain it now.
- SofíaNo hace falta que lo intentes explicar.You don't need to try to explain it.
- DanielSolo fue un problema con el tráfico.It was just a problem with the traffic.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “explain” translations and entries explicar, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries explicar, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
