Aclarar Conjugation in Spanish

The Spanish verb aclarar means to clarify, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know 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. Like every Spanish verb, aclarar changes its ending for each person and tense, and this page gives you the complete picture: every tense, every person, the gerund and the past participle, all from the verified conjugation tables. For example, in the present tense you say aclaro la duda con un ejemplo, and in the preterite you say aclaré la situación en la reunión. Work through the tables below, read the notes for each tense, and then test yourself with the examples, the common mistakes and the quiz at the end of the page.

Quick facts

  • Infinitive: aclarar
  • English: to clarify
  • Verb type: regular -ar verb
  • Ending: -ar
  • Gerund: aclarando
  • Past participle: aclarado
  • Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + aclarado)

Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for aclarar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Aclarar is fully regular: aclaré, aclaraba, aclararé. Do not confuse it with aclararse, to become clear, which is reflexive.

Full conjugation tables

Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for aclarar. The imperfect subjunctive is shown in its -ra forms; the -se forms use the same stem. For reflexive verbs, the pronoun column shows the reflexive pronoun that goes before each form.

Present indicative

Person Form
yo aclaro
tú aclaras
él/ella/Ud. aclara
nosotros/as aclaramos
vosotros/as aclaráis
ellos/ellas/Uds. aclaran

Preterite

Person Form
yo aclaré
tú aclaraste
él/ella/Ud. aclaró
nosotros/as aclaramos
vosotros/as aclarasteis
ellos/ellas/Uds. aclararon

Imperfect

Person Form
yo aclaraba
tú aclarabas
él/ella/Ud. aclaraba
nosotros/as aclarábamos
vosotros/as aclarabais
ellos/ellas/Uds. aclaraban

Future

Person Form
yo aclararé
tú aclararás
él/ella/Ud. aclarará
nosotros/as aclararemos
vosotros/as aclararéis
ellos/ellas/Uds. aclararán

Conditional

Person Form
yo aclararía
tú aclararías
él/ella/Ud. aclararía
nosotros/as aclararíamos
vosotros/as aclararíais
ellos/ellas/Uds. aclararían

Present perfect

Person Form
yo he aclarado
tú has aclarado
él/ella/Ud. ha aclarado
nosotros/as hemos aclarado
vosotros/as habéis aclarado
ellos/ellas/Uds. han aclarado

Pluperfect

Person Form
yo había aclarado
tú habías aclarado
él/ella/Ud. había aclarado
nosotros/as habíamos aclarado
vosotros/as habíais aclarado
ellos/ellas/Uds. habían aclarado

Future perfect

Person Form
yo habré aclarado
tú habrás aclarado
él/ella/Ud. habrá aclarado
nosotros/as habremos aclarado
vosotros/as habréis aclarado
ellos/ellas/Uds. habrán aclarado

Conditional perfect

Person Form
yo habría aclarado
tú habrías aclarado
él/ella/Ud. habría aclarado
nosotros/as habríamos aclarado
vosotros/as habríais aclarado
ellos/ellas/Uds. habrían aclarado

Present subjunctive

Person Form
yo aclare
tú aclares
él/ella/Ud. aclare
nosotros/as aclaremos
vosotros/as aclaréis
ellos/ellas/Uds. aclaren

Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)

Person Form
yo aclarara
tú aclararas
él/ella/Ud. aclarara
nosotros/as aclaráramos
vosotros/as aclararais
ellos/ellas/Uds. aclararan

Imperative (affirmative)

Person Form
tú aclara
él/ella/Ud. aclare
nosotros/as aclaremos
vosotros/as aclarad
ellos/ellas/Uds. aclaren

Imperative (negative)

Person Form
tú aclares
él/ella/Ud. aclare
nosotros/as aclaremos
vosotros/as aclaréis
ellos/ellas/Uds. aclaren

Gerund and past participle

Form Spanish Use
Gerund aclarando with estar for the progressive: estoy aclarando
Past participle aclarado with haber for the perfect tenses: he aclarado

How to use each tense

Present indicative

Use the present for routines, general facts and what is happening right now. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For aclarar, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Aclaro la duda con un ejemplo. Learn the present forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Preterite

Use the preterite for finished actions with a clear end, often with ayer, el año pasado or anoche. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For aclarar, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, aclaré el malentendido con una llamada. Learn the preterite forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Imperfect

Use the imperfect for background, habits and actions in progress in the past, often with de niño, antes or mientras. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For aclarar, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, aclaraba la situación en la reunión. Learn the imperfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Future

Use the future for plans, predictions and promises, often with mañana, el año que viene or pronto. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For aclarar, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, aclararé mis ideas antes de escribir. Learn the future forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Conditional

Use the conditional for polite requests, hypotheticals and what would happen, often with si clauses. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For aclarar, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Aclararía la duda con un ejemplo si pudiera. Learn the conditional forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Present perfect

Use the present perfect for recent actions and experiences, often with hoy, esta semana or ya. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For aclarar, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he aclarado el malentendido con una llamada. Learn the present perfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Pluperfect

Use the pluperfect when one past action happened before another past action. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For aclarar, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había aclarado la situación en la reunión antes de salir. Learn the pluperfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Future perfect

Use the future perfect for something that will already be finished by a future time. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For aclarar, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré aclarado mis ideas antes de escribir. Learn the future perfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Conditional perfect

Use the conditional perfect for what would have happened under different conditions. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For aclarar, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría aclarado la duda con un ejemplo con más tiempo. Learn the conditional perfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Present subjunctive

Use the present subjunctive after expressions of wish, doubt, emotion and hope, such as espero que or quiero que. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For aclarar, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él aclare el malentendido con una llamada. Learn the present subjunctive forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)

Use the imperfect subjunctive after past wishes and in si clauses about the past, and note the -ra forms shown here; the -se forms use the same stem. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For aclarar, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él aclarara la situación en la reunión, todo cambiaría. Learn the imperfect subjunctive forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Imperative (affirmative)

Use the affirmative imperative for direct commands, instructions and invitations. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For aclarar, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡aclara mis ideas antes de escribir! Learn the affirmative imperative forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Imperative (negative)

Use the negative imperative, always with no, to tell someone not to do something. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For aclarar, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No aclares la duda con un ejemplo. Learn the negative imperative forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Example sentences

Ten natural sentences with aclarar, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.

  1. Aclaro la duda con un ejemplo. — I clarify the doubt with an example.
  2. Aclara el malentendido con una llamada. — He/she clarifies the misunderstanding with a call.
  3. Ayer, aclaré la situación en la reunión. — Yesterday, I clarified the situation in the meeting.
  4. Antes, nosotros aclarábamos mis ideas antes de escribir. — Before, we used to clarify my ideas before writing.
  5. Mañana, tú aclararás la duda con un ejemplo. — Tomorrow, you will clarify the doubt with an example.
  6. Yo aclararía el malentendido con una llamada si tuviera más tiempo. — I would clarify the misunderstanding with a call if I had more time.
  7. Él ha aclarado la situación en la reunión. — He has clarified the situation in the meeting.
  8. Espero que él aclare mis ideas antes de escribir. — I hope he clarifies my ideas before writing.
  9. Yo ya había aclarado la duda con un ejemplo antes de salir. — I had already clarified the doubt with an example before leaving.
  10. Ellos aclaraban el malentendido con una llamada cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to clarify the misunderstanding with a call when they were young.

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. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.

  1. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ la duda con un ejemplo. (present tense) A. aclaro B. aclaras C. aclara D. aclaramos

  2. Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ el malentendido con una llamada. (preterite) A. aclaré B. aclaraste C. aclararon D. aclaró

  3. Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ la situación en la reunión. (imperfect) A. aclarabas B. aclaraban C. aclarábamos D. aclaraba

  4. Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ mis ideas antes de escribir. (future) A. aclararemos B. aclararás C. aclararé D. aclarará

  5. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ la duda con un ejemplo si pudiera. (conditional) A. aclararía B. aclararías C. aclararían D. aclaro

  6. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ el malentendido con una llamada. (present subjunctive) A. aclares B. aclaremos C. aclaro D. aclare

  7. Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ la situación en la reunión, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. aclaráramos B. aclaro C. aclarara D. aclararas

  8. Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ mis ideas antes de escribir. (present perfect) A. han aclarado B. hemos aclarado C. he aclarado D. has aclarado

  9. Complete the command: ¡___ la duda con un ejemplo! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. aclara B. aclare C. aclaremos D. aclarad

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

Answer key

  1. aclaro — The first-person present of aclarar is aclaro. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
  2. aclaró — The third-person preterite of aclarar is aclaró, the form for a single finished action in the past.
  3. aclarábamos — The nosotros imperfect of aclarar is aclarábamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
  4. aclararás — The second-person future of aclarar is aclararás.
  5. aclararía — The first-person conditional of aclarar is aclararía, the form for what would happen.
  6. aclare — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of aclarar is aclare.
  7. aclarara — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of aclarar is aclarara.
  8. hemos aclarado — The nosotros present perfect of aclarar is hemos aclarado: hemos + aclarado.
  9. aclara — The affirmative tú imperative of aclarar is aclara.
  10. aclarando — The gerund of aclarar is aclarando: estoy aclarando. The participle aclarado is used with haber instead.

Frequently asked questions

What does aclarar mean in English?

Aclarar means to clarify. It is used in everyday situations such as Aclaro la duda con un ejemplo. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.

Is aclarar regular or irregular?

Aclarar is a fully regular -ar verb, so every tense follows the standard endings for its class. Once you know the regular pattern, you can produce every form on this page, including aclaro in the present and aclaré in the preterite.

What is the difference between aclarar and explicar?

Aclarar means to clarify, while explicar means to explain something. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use aclarar when you mean to clarify, as in Aclaro la duda con un ejemplo, and use explicar for to explain something. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.

How do I say “I clarify” in the past?

It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo aclaré el malentendido con una llamada. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo aclaraba la situación en la reunión. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he aclarado el malentendido con una llamada.

How do I practise aclarar?

Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the aclarar examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.

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