Aclarar Examples, Sentences & Quiz in Spanish

aclarar means “to clarify” in English, and this page shows you how it actually sounds in everyday Spanish — not just the conjugation table, but the verb in real sentences, in short dialogues, and in the mistakes learners make with it. Aclarar means to clarify, and it is used for making an idea clear, explaining a doubt and clearing up a misunderstanding. It also means to lighten in colour and to rinse in the kitchen, but the clarification sense is the one learners meet most, in class, at work and in arguments. Below you will find twelve example sentences grouped by tense, two short dialogues, the most common mistakes with corrections, and a ten-question quiz with explained answers. If you want the full tables first, start with the full conjugation of aclarar; if you want to study one tense in depth, see the aclarar present tense page.

aclarar in everyday use: examples with translations

In the present

Four sentences with aclarar in the present tense, for habits, facts and things happening right now.

  1. Yo aclaro la duda con un ejemplo. — I clarify the doubt with an example.
  2. Él/Ella aclara el malentendido con una llamada. — He clarifies the misunderstanding with a call.
  3. Nosotros/as aclaramos la situación en la reunión. — We clarify the situation in the meeting.
  4. Ellos/as aclaran mis ideas antes de escribir. — They clarify my ideas before writing.

In the past

Four sentences with aclarar in the past: the preterite for finished actions and the imperfect for habits and background.

  1. Ayer, Yo aclaré la situación en la reunión. — Yesterday, I clarified the situation in the meeting.
  2. Antes, Nosotros/as aclarábamos mis ideas antes de escribir. — Before, We used to clarify my ideas before writing.
  3. Ayer, Él/Ella aclaró la duda con un ejemplo. — Yesterday, He clarified the doubt with an example.
  4. De niños, Ellos/as aclaraban el malentendido con una llamada. — As children, They used to clarify the misunderstanding with a call.

Plans, hopes and wishes

Four sentences with aclarar in the future, the conditional, the subjunctive and the present perfect — for plans, hypotheticals and things that have just happened.

  1. Mañana, Tú aclararás la duda con un ejemplo. — Tomorrow, You will clarify the doubt with an example.
  2. Yo aclararía el malentendido con una llamada. — I would clarify the misunderstanding with a call.
  3. Espero que él aclare la situación en la reunión. — I hope he clarifies the situation in the meeting.
  4. Él/Ella ha aclarado mis ideas antes de escribir. — He has clarified my ideas before writing.

aclarar in context: two short dialogues

Making plans

Ana: ¿Tú aclaras la duda con un ejemplo mañana? — Are you going to clarify the doubt with an example tomorrow? Luis: Sí, yo aclaro la duda con un ejemplo todos los días. — Yes, I clarify the doubt with an example every day. Ana: ¿Y mañana aclararás el malentendido con una llamada? — And tomorrow, will you clarify the misunderstanding with a call? Luis: Claro, mañana aclararé el malentendido con una llamada sin falta. — Of course, tomorrow I will clarify the misunderstanding with a call without fail. Ana: Perfecto. Yo aclararé la situación en la reunión también. — Perfect. I will clarify the situation in the meeting too. Luis: Entonces quedamos mañana. ¡Hasta luego! — Then see you tomorrow. Bye!

Yesterday

Ana: ¿Qué hiciste ayer? — What did you do yesterday? Luis: Ayer aclaré la situación en la reunión. — Yesterday, I clarified the situation in the meeting. Ana: ¿Y antes aclarabas mis ideas antes de escribir? — And before, did you use to clarify my ideas before writing? Luis: Sí, antes aclaraba mis ideas antes de escribir todos los días. — Yes, before, I used to clarify my ideas before writing every day. Ana: ¿Y tus hermanos aclararon la duda con un ejemplo? — And did your brothers clarified the doubt with an example? Luis: Sí, ellos aclararon la duda con un ejemplo por la tarde. — Yes, they clarified the doubt with an example in the afternoon.

Common mistakes

  1. Wrong: Yo aclara la duda con un ejemplo. — Right: Yo aclaro la duda con un ejemplo. — The person matters: aclara is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is aclaro. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
  2. Wrong: Treating aclarar and explicar as identical in every context. — Right: Aclarar means to clarify, while explicar means to explain something. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: aclarar fits sentences such as Aclaro la duda con un ejemplo, while explicar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
  3. Wrong: Yo soy aclarado el malentendido con una llamada. — Right: Yo he aclarado el malentendido con una llamada. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he aclarado, has aclarado, ha aclarado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
  4. Wrong: De niño, yo aclaré la situación en la reunión todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo aclaraba la situación en la reunión todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (aclaraba), not the preterite. The preterite (aclaré) is for one finished action.

Quiz: test yourself

Ten questions on aclarar in use. Choose the right answer, then check the answer key below.

  1. Complete the sentence: Ellos/as ___ mis ideas antes de escribir. (present tense) A. aclaran B. aclaro C. aclaras D. aclara

  2. Complete the sentence: Ayer, Nosotros/as ___ la duda con un ejemplo. (preterite tense) A. aclaré B. aclaraste C. aclaró D. aclaramos

  3. Complete the sentence: Antes, Tú ___ el malentendido con una llamada. (imperfect tense) A. aclarábamos B. aclarabais C. aclarabas D. aclaraba

  4. Complete the sentence: Mañana, Él/Ella ___ la situación en la reunión. (future tense) A. aclararemos B. aclarará C. aclararé D. aclararás

  5. Complete the sentence: Nosotros/as ___ mis ideas antes de escribir. (conditional tense) A. aclararíamos B. aclararía C. aclararías D. aclararíais

  6. Complete the sentence: Hoy, Yo ___ la duda con un ejemplo. (present-perfect tense) A. has aclarado B. ha aclarado C. hemos aclarado D. he aclarado

  7. What does aclarar mean in English? A. to disturb B. to address as tú C. to clarify D. to explain something

  8. Which of these sentences is WRONG? A. Ayer, Yo aclaré la situación en la reunión. B. Yo aclara la duda con un ejemplo. C. Yo aclaro la duda con un ejemplo. D. Él/Ella aclara el malentendido con una llamada.

  9. Which is the gerund of aclarar, used with estar for the progressive? A. aclarando B. aclarado C. aclaro D. aclaré

  10. Which is the past participle of aclarar, used with haber in the perfect tenses? A. aclarando B. aclaro C. aclaré D. aclarado

Answer key

  1. aclaran — The correct form here is aclaran.
  2. aclaramos — The correct form here is aclaramos.
  3. aclarabas — The correct form here is aclarabas.
  4. aclarará — The correct form here is aclarará.
  5. aclararíamos — The correct form here is aclararíamos.
  6. he aclarado — The correct form here is he aclarado.
  7. to clarify — Aclarar means to clarify. Explicar means to explain something, which is a different verb.
  8. Yo aclara la duda con un ejemplo. — The first sentence is wrong: the correct form is Yo aclaro la duda con un ejemplo.. The person matters: aclara is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is aclaro. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
  9. aclarando — The gerund of aclarar is aclarando: estoy aclarando.
  10. aclarado — The past participle of aclarar is aclarado: he aclarado, has aclarado, ha aclarado.

Frequently asked questions

What does aclarar mean?

Aclarar means to clarify. Aclarar means to clarify, and it is used for making an idea clear, explaining a doubt and clearing up a misunderstanding. It also means to lighten in colour and to rinse in the kitchen, but the clarification sense is the one learners meet most, in class, at work and in arguments.

When do people use aclarar most?

People use aclarar most in everyday situations such as Yo aclaro la duda con un ejemplo. and Ayer, Yo aclaré la situación en la reunión.. Learn the present tense first, then the preterite and the imperfect, since those are the forms you will hear most often.

What is the difference between aclarar and explicar?

Aclarar means to clarify, while explicar means to explain something. They appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable — check the meaning you want before you choose.

How can I remember the forms of aclarar?

Practise the present tense table first, then add the preterite and the imperfect. Use the full conjugation of aclarar as your reference, the aclarar present tense page for one tense in depth, and the Spanish Verb Quiz to test yourself.

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