Introduction
Explicar means “to explain”, and it is one of the verbs you will use every day in Spanish. Explicar is the verb for explaining something: a rule, a word, a problem. The thing explained is the direct object, with no preposition. Explicar a + person means to explain to someone. The personal a appears because the listener is a person. This page shows explicar in real sentences, in short dialogues, and in the mistakes learners make most often, and it finishes with a ten-question quiz so you can test yourself. Every sentence below comes with its English translation, and every form is the correct present-tense form unless the sentence is clearly marked as past or future. For a first taste: “Yo explico la regla.” — I explain the rule.
Explicar in real example sentences
The twelve sentences below are grouped by how explicar is used. Read each one out loud, then read the translation. If a sentence feels useful, copy it into your own notebook with one small change — a different time, a different person, a different place — and you have a new sentence of your own.
In the present: everyday use
These sentences use explicar in the present tense, which is how you will meet it most often: routines, facts, and things happening now.
“Yo explico la regla.” — I explain the rule.
“¿Tú explicas la lección?” — Do you explain the lesson?
“El profesor explica a los estudiantes.” — The teacher explains to the students.
“Nosotros explicamos cómo funciona.” — We explain how it works.
Talking about the past
The present is not the only tense you need. These sentences show explicar in the past, so you can talk about what already happened.
“Ayer yo expliqué la regla.” — Yesterday I explained the rule. (preterite)
“El profesor explicaba a los estudiantes siempre.” — The teacher always used to explain to the students. (imperfect)
Plans and things already done
These sentences look forward, or look back at something already finished. Notice how the verb form changes while the meaning of explicar stays the same.
“Nosotros explicaremos cómo funciona mañana.” — We will explain how it works tomorrow. (future)
“¿Tú has explicado ya el problema?” — Have you explained the problem yet? (present perfect)
More everyday uses
Four more present-tense sentences, covering the remaining persons, so you can see the whole table in action.
“Vosotros explicáis bien.” — You explain well.
“Ellos explican el problema.” — They explain the problem.
“Yo explico con ejemplos.” — I explain with examples.
“Mi padre explica todo con paciencia.” — My father explains everything patiently.
Explicar in context
Single sentences teach you the forms. Dialogues teach you when to use them. Read the short conversation below, then the paragraph that follows, and notice how explicar appears naturally, without anyone stopping to think about conjugation.
A short dialogue
Ana: “¿Tú explicas la lección?” — Do you explain the lesson?
Luis: “Sí, yo explico la regla.” — Yes, I explain the rule.
Ana: “Nosotros explicamos cómo funciona.” — We explain how it works.
Luis: “Y ellos explican el problema.” — And they explain the problem.
Ana: “Vosotros explicáis bien.” — You explain well.
Luis: “Sí, y el profesor explica a los estudiantes.” — Yes, and the teacher explains to the students.
A short paragraph
Ana explica la regla, y el profesor explica a los estudiantes. Nosotros explicamos cómo funciona, y ellos explican el problema. Yo explico con ejemplos, y mi padre explica todo con paciencia. Explicar is part of every lesson, because explaining a rule, explaining to someone and explaining how something works are all part of the same verb.
Common mistakes with explicar
These are the errors learners actually make with explicar. Each one shows the wrong version, the right version, and why the correction matters.
Wrong: “Yo explico al profesor la regla.” Right: “Yo explico la regla al profesor.” Why: In Spanish, the direct object usually comes before the indirect object: explico la regla al profesor, not explico al profesor la regla. The order matters, and the natural order is what you explain first, then to whom.
Wrong: “Ellos explica el problema.” Right: “Ellos explican el problema.” Why: Ellos needs the ellos form explican. The singular explica belongs with él, ella or a singular noun such as el profesor.
Wrong: “Yo explico la regla ayer.” Right: “Ayer yo expliqué la regla.” Why: The present tense cannot describe a finished action yesterday. Ayer forces the preterite, so the form must change to expliqué, with the spelling change c → qu before e.
Wrong: “Nosotros explicas bien.” Right: “Nosotros explicamos bien.” Why: Nosotros needs explicamos. The tú form explicas belongs with tú.
Wrong: “Ellos explico todos los días.” Right: “Ellos explican todos los días.” Why: The verb must agree with its subject. Ellos needs the ellos form explican, not the yo form explico. This is the most common agreement slip in the present tense, and it happens because learners memorise the yo form first and then reuse it for every person.
Quiz: explicar in use
Ten questions on explicar in real sentences. Choose the correct answer for each one, then check the answer key. Every answer is explained.
1. Complete the sentence: “Vosotros ______ bien.” (You explain well.)
- (a) explicas
- (b) explicáis
- (c) explico
Answer: explicáis — The vosotros/as form of explicar in the present tense is explicáis.
2. Complete the sentence: “Ellos ______ el problema.” (They explain the problem.)
- (a) explican
- (b) explico
- (c) explicas
Answer: explican — The ellos/ellas/Uds. form of explicar in the present tense is explican.
3. Complete the sentence (preterite): “Ayer yo ______ la regla.” (Yesterday I explained the rule.)
- (a) explicaste
- (b) explicó
- (c) expliqué
Answer: expliqué — In the preterite, the yo form of explicar is expliqué.
4. Complete the sentence (imperfect): “El profesor ______ a los estudiantes siempre.” (The teacher always used to explain to the students.)
- (a) explicabas
- (b) explicaba
- (c) explicaba
Answer: explicaba — In the imperfect, the él/ella/Ud. form of explicar is explicaba.
5. Complete the sentence (future): “Nosotros ______ cómo funciona mañana.” (We will explain how it works tomorrow.)
- (a) explicaremos
- (b) explicaré
- (c) explicarás
Answer: explicaremos — In the future, the nosotros/as form of explicar is explicaremos.
6. What does explicar mean in English?
- (a) to finish, to end
- (b) to serve
- (c) to explain
Answer: to explain — Explicar means “to explain”. The other options are the meanings of different verbs.
7. Which sentence is correct?
- (a) Yo explico la regla al profesor.
- (b) Yo explico al profesor la regla.
- (c) Ellos explica el problema.
Answer: Yo explico la regla al profesor. — “Yo explico la regla al profesor.” is correct. The other two sentences contain the mistakes explained in the section above.
8. How do you say “I explain with examples.” in Spanish?
- (a) Yo explican con ejemplos.
- (b) Yo explico con ejemplos.
- (c) Mi padre explica todo con paciencia.
Answer: Yo explico con ejemplos. — “Yo explico con ejemplos.” is the correct translation. The second option means something different, and the third uses the wrong person's form.
9. What is the nosotros form of explicar in the present tense?
- (a) explico
- (b) explicas
- (c) explicamos
Answer: explicamos — The nosotros form is explicamos.
10. Which of these sentences is in the present tense?
- (a) Ayer yo expliqué la regla.
- (b) Nosotros explicaremos cómo funciona mañana.
- (c) Yo explico la regla.
Answer: Yo explico la regla. — “Yo explico la regla.” is in the present tense. The other two are in the preterite and the future.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say 'I explain the rule' in Spanish?
Say 'Explico la regla'. The rule follows directly with no preposition. To name the listener: 'Explico la regla al profesor'.
How do you say 'to explain with examples' in Spanish?
Say 'explicar con ejemplos'. In the present: 'Yo explico con ejemplos'. The con phrase describes how you explain.
Can explicar be used with cómo?
Yes. Explicar cómo + clause means to explain how something works: 'Nosotros explicamos cómo funciona'. It is the standard structure for instructions and explanations of processes.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of explicar — every tense of explicar in one place.
- Explicar in the present tense — the full table and usage rules for one tense.
- Spanish verbs — the hub for every Spanish verb on VerbFlow.
- Verb quiz — test yourself on explicar and other verbs.
- Conjugation practice — drill the forms of explicar until they are automatic.