Erklären Conjugation in German
erklären means “to explain” in English, and it is one of the first verbs German learners meet — it sits at number 58 in VerbFlow’s frequency list for German verbs. You use it whenever you talk about explaining the rule to my sister, and because it comes up in everyday conversation so often, learning its forms properly pays off from the very first week. This page gives you the complete conjugation of erklären — every tense, every person, both participles and the infinitive — with notes, examples, common mistakes and a quiz. Here is the verb in a natural sentence: “Ich erkläre die Regel meiner Schwester jeden Tag.” — “I explain the rule to my sister every day.”
Quick facts
- Infinitive: erklären
- English: to explain
- Verb type: Regular
- Irregular in: none — regular in every tense
- Pattern: weak
- Separable: no
- Participle I: erklärend
- Past participle (Partizip II): geerklärt
- Auxiliary: haben (all perfect tenses are formed with haben + the past participle)
Pronunciation
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for erklären, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Learn the spelling of the forms first, and listen to a native speaker for the sounds rather than trusting an invented transcription. The forms below are the ones that matter: once you can read erklären in every tense, you can recognise it in speech even before you can pronounce every form perfectly.
Three things to remember about erklären
- It is regular: every form follows the ordinary weak pattern, so once you know the stem you can build the whole table. The only work is learning the endings, not memorising exceptions.
- The perfect tenses use haben: the perfect is formed with haben in the present plus the past participle geerklärt. The tables on this page give the participle in the uninflected form, exactly as it appears in the verified dump; agreement with the subject is a separate step that depends on the sentence, not on the verb table.
- Partizip I is erklärend and Partizip II is geerklärt: keep both in mind as you read the tables, because Partizip I appears in adjectival uses and Partizip II appears in every perfect tense. If you know those two forms and the present tense, you already know the skeleton of the whole conjugation.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from VerbFlow’s verified conjugation tables for erklären. Learn the present tense first, then the Perfekt and the preterite, and add the remaining tenses one at a time.
Present (Präsens)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| ich | erkläre |
| du | erklärst |
| er/sie/es | erklärt |
| wir | erklären |
| ihr | erklärt |
| sie/Sie | erklären |
The present (Präsens) is used for habits, facts and things happening now. For example: “Ich erkläre das Problem meinem Freund jeden Tag.” — “I explain the problem to my friend every day.”
Preterite (Präteritum)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| ich | erklärte |
| du | erklärtest |
| er/sie/es | erklärte |
| wir | erklärten |
| ihr | erklärtet |
| sie/Sie | erklärten |
The preterite (Präteritum) is used for completed actions in the past, mostly in written German and in stories. For example: “Du erklärtest das Problem meinem Freund gestern.” — “You explained the problem to my friend yesterday.”
Perfect (Perfekt)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| ich | habe geerklärt |
| du | hast geerklärt |
| er/sie/es | hat geerklärt |
| wir | haben geerklärt |
| ihr | habt geerklärt |
| sie/Sie | haben geerklärt |
The perfect (Perfekt) is used for completed actions in the past, especially in spoken German. For example: “Er hat das Problem meinem Freund geerklärt gestern.” — “He has explained the problem to my friend yesterday.”
Pluperfect (Plusquamperfekt)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| ich | hatte geerklärt |
| du | hattest geerklärt |
| er/sie/es | hatte geerklärt |
| wir | hatten geerklärt |
| ihr | hattet geerklärt |
| sie/Sie | hatten geerklärt |
The pluperfect (Plusquamperfekt) is used for an action completed before another past action. For example: “Wir hatten das Problem meinem Freund geerklärt vor der Party.” — “We had explained the problem to my friend before the party.”
Future (Futur I)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| ich | werde erklären |
| du | wirst erklären |
| er/sie/es | wird erklären |
| wir | werden erklären |
| ihr | werdet erklären |
| sie/Sie | werden erklären |
The future (Futur I) is used for what will happen, for predictions and for probability. For example: “Ich werde das Problem meinem Freund erklären morgen.” — “I will explain the problem to my friend tomorrow.”
Future perfect (Futur II)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| ich | werde geerklärt haben |
| du | wirst geerklärt haben |
| er/sie/es | wird geerklärt haben |
| wir | werden geerklärt haben |
| ihr | werdet geerklärt haben |
| sie/Sie | werden geerklärt haben |
The future perfect (Futur II) is used for what will have happened by a point in the future. For example: “Du wirst das Problem meinem Freund geerklärt haben bis morgen.” — “You will have explained the problem to my friend by tomorrow.”
Konjunktiv I
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| ich | erkläre |
| du | erklärest |
| er/sie/es | erkläre |
| wir | erklären |
| ihr | erkläret |
| sie/Sie | erklären |
Konjunktiv I is used for reported speech and indirect quotation. For example: “Es ist wichtig, dass er erkläre das Problem meinem Freund.” — “It is important that he explain the problem to my friend.”
Konjunktiv II
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| ich | erklärte |
| du | erklärtest |
| er/sie/es | erklärte |
| wir | erklärten |
| ihr | erklärtet |
| sie/Sie | erklärten |
Konjunktiv II is used for wishes, hypothetical situations and polite requests. It doubles as the conditional: there is no separate würde tense in the tables, and the periphrastic alternative with würde plus the infinitive is a way of expressing the same meaning, not a tense of its own. For example: “Ich erklärte das Problem meinem Freund eines Tages.” — “I would explain the problem to my friend one day.”
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| ich | hätte geerklärt |
| du | hättest geerklärt |
| er/sie/es | hätte geerklärt |
| wir | hätten geerklärt |
| ihr | hättet geerklärt |
| sie/Sie | hätten geerklärt |
The conditional perfect is used for what would have happened in a different past. For example: “Er hätte das Problem meinem Freund geerklärt gestern.” — “He would have explained the problem to my friend yesterday.”
Imperative
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| du | erklär |
| wir | erklären |
| ihr | erklärt |
| sie | erklären |
The imperative is used for direct commands and instructions. For example: “Erklär das Problem meinem Freund!” — “Explain the problem to my friend!”
Present participle (Partizip I)
| Form | German |
|---|---|
| Present participle | erklärend |
The present participle (Partizip I) is used as an adjective and for describing an action in progress. For example, the participle erklärend describes something that is explaining. The present-tense sentence “Ich erkläre die Regel meiner Schwester jeden Tag.” — “I explain the rule to my sister every day.” shows the same verb in action.
Past participle (Partizip II)
| Form | German |
|---|---|
| Past participle | geerklärt |
The past participle (Partizip II) is used with an auxiliary to form the perfect tenses, and as an adjective. For example: “Ich habe die Regel meiner Schwester geerklärt gestern.” — “I have explained the rule to my sister yesterday.”
Infinitive
| Form | German |
|---|---|
| Infinitive | erklären |
The infinitive is the dictionary form of the verb, used after modal verbs and in infinitive constructions. The infinitive erklären is the form you look up in a dictionary. In a sentence it appears after a modal verb or with zu, and in the future it follows werden, as in “Ich werde die Regel meiner Schwester erklären morgen.” — “I will explain the rule to my sister tomorrow.”
Example sentences
Ten natural sentences with erklären, covering different tenses and persons. Say each one aloud, then cover the German and try to produce it from the English.
- “Ich erkläre die Regel meiner Schwester jeden Tag.” — “I explain the rule to my sister every day.”
- “Du erklärtest das Problem meinem Freund gestern.” — “You explained the problem to my friend yesterday.”
- “Er hat den Weg dem Touristen geerklärt gestern.” — “He has explained the way to the tourist yesterday.”
- “Wir hatten die Regel meiner Schwester geerklärt vor der Party.” — “We had explained the rule to my sister before the party.”
- “Ich werde das Problem meinem Freund erklären morgen.” — “I will explain the problem to my friend tomorrow.”
- “Du wirst den Weg dem Touristen geerklärt haben bis morgen.” — “You will have explained the way to the tourist by tomorrow.”
- “Es ist wichtig, dass er erkläre die Regel meiner Schwester.” — “It is important that he explain the rule to my sister.”
- “Ich erklärte das Problem meinem Freund eines Tages.” — “I would explain the problem to my friend one day.”
- “Er hätte den Weg dem Touristen geerklärt gestern.” — “He would have explained the way to the tourist yesterday.”
- “Erklär die Regel meiner Schwester!” — “Explain the rule to my sister!”
Common mistakes
1. Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form
✗ Wrong: “Ich erklären die Regel meiner Schwester.”
✓ Right: “Ich erkläre die Regel meiner Schwester.”
The infinitive erklären never takes a subject. After ich you need the conjugated present form erkläre.
2. Using the wrong person’s form
✗ Wrong: “Ich erklären die Regel meiner Schwester.”
✓ Right: “Ich erkläre die Regel meiner Schwester.”
erklären is the sie form, not the ich form. Match the verb to the subject every time: ich goes with erkläre.
3. Using the present for a finished past action
✗ Wrong: “Ich erkläre die Regel meiner Schwester gestern.”
✓ Right: “Ich habe die Regel meiner Schwester geerklärt gestern.”
The time word gestern points to the past, so a finished action needs the Perfekt habe geerklärt, not the present.
4. Using the indicative after a subjunctive trigger
✗ Wrong: “Es ist wichtig, dass ich erkläre die Regel meiner Schwester.”
✓ Right: “Es ist wichtig, dass ich erkläre die Regel meiner Schwester.”
After es ist wichtig, dass German needs Konjunktiv I, so use erkläre here, not the indicative erkläre.
5. Using the wrong auxiliary in the Perfekt
✗ Wrong: “Ich bin geerklärt die Regel meiner Schwester.”
✓ Right: “habe geerklärt die Regel meiner Schwester.”
The Perfekt of erklären is formed with haben plus the past participle geerklärt: the ich form is habe geerklärt. Check the auxiliary in the table above before you build a perfect tense.
6. Using the preterite for a daily habit
✗ Wrong: “Ich erklärte die Regel meiner Schwester jeden Tag.”
✓ Right: “Ich erkläre die Regel meiner Schwester jeden Tag.”
The preterite erklärte describes a past action. For something you do every day, use the present erkläre.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on erklären. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
What is the ich form of erklären in the Present (Präsens)?
- A) erklärst
- B) erklärt
- C) erklären
- D) erkläre
What is the du form of erklären in the Preterite (Präteritum)?
- A) erklärtest
- B) erklärte
- C) erklärten
- D) erklärtet
What is the er/sie/es form of erklären in the Perfect (Perfekt)?
- A) habe geerklärt
- B) hast geerklärt
- C) haben geerklärt
- D) hat geerklärt
What is the wir form of erklären in the Pluperfect (Plusquamperfekt)?
- A) hatten geerklärt
- B) hatte geerklärt
- C) hattest geerklärt
- D) hattet geerklärt
What is the du form of erklären in the Future (Futur I)?
- A) wirst erklären
- B) werde erklären
- C) wird erklären
- D) werden erklären
What is the ich form of erklären in the Future perfect (Futur II)?
- A) wirst geerklärt haben
- B) wird geerklärt haben
- C) werden geerklärt haben
- D) werde geerklärt haben
What is the er/sie/es form of erklären in the Konjunktiv I?
- A) erklärest
- B) erklären
- C) erkläret
- D) erkläre
What is the ich form of erklären in the Konjunktiv II?
- A) erklärtest
- B) erklärten
- C) erklärtet
- D) erklärte
What is the present participle (Partizip I) of erklären?
- A) wählend
- B) erklärend
- C) diskutierend
- D) entscheidend
What does erklären mean in English?
- A) to explain
- B) to discuss
- C) to decide
- D) to vote, to choose
Answer key
- D) erkläre — the ich form of erklären in the Present (Präsens) is erkläre. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- A) erklärtest — the du form of erklären in the Preterite (Präteritum) is erklärtest. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- D) hat geerklärt — the er/sie/es form of erklären in the Perfect (Perfekt) is hat geerklärt. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- A) hatten geerklärt — the wir form of erklären in the Pluperfect (Plusquamperfekt) is hatten geerklärt. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- A) wirst erklären — the du form of erklären in the Future (Futur I) is wirst erklären. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- D) werde geerklärt haben — the ich form of erklären in the Future perfect (Futur II) is werde geerklärt haben. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- D) erkläre — the er/sie/es form of erklären in the Konjunktiv I is erkläre. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- D) erklärte — the ich form of erklären in the Konjunktiv II is erklärte. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- B) erklärend — the present participle (Partizip I) of erklären is erklärend. The other options are the participles of neighbouring verbs.
- A) to explain — erklären means “to explain” in English. The other options are the meanings of neighbouring verbs.
Frequently asked questions
What does erklären mean in English?
erklären means “to explain”. It is a core everyday verb, so its present-tense forms are worth learning first.
Is erklären regular or irregular?
erklären is regular: it follows the ordinary weak pattern in every tense. Partizip I is erklärend and Partizip II is geerklärt.
What are the participles of erklären?
Partizip I is erklärend — use it as an adjective. Partizip II is geerklärt — use it with haben for the perfect tenses, as in habe geerklärt.
Which auxiliary does erklären take in the Perfekt?
erklären takes haben in the Perfekt: the ich form is habe geerklärt. All four perfect tenses on this page are built with haben plus the past participle geerklärt.
How do I say “I explain” in German?
Say “Ich erkläre die Regel meiner Schwester jeden Tag.” — “I explain the rule to my sister every day.” The ich form of the present is erkläre, and it is the form you will use most often.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of erklären — every tense of erklären in one place.
- Erklären in the present tense — the full table and usage rules for one tense.
- Erklären examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice questions for this verb.
- Diskutieren conjugation — another everyday German verb.
- Entscheiden conjugation — another everyday German verb.
- Wählen conjugation — another everyday German verb.
- German verbs — the full hub of German conjugation pages.
- Spanish verbs — the full hub of Spanish conjugation pages.
- French verbs — the full hub of French conjugation pages.
- VerbFlow home — all languages, tools and verb lists.
- Spanish Verb Conjugator — practise erklären with the interactive tool.
- Conjugation Chart Printer — practise erklären with the interactive tool.
- Tense Finder — practise erklären with the interactive tool.