Introduction
Explicar means «to explain». Explicar means to explain: a lesson, a rule, a problem, with examples. It is a regular -ar verb with one spelling change: before an e, the c becomes qu, so the yo preterite is expliqué and the subjunctive is explique, keeping the hard k sound. It is a irregular -ar verb, so the tables below show you exactly how it behaves in every tense. On this page you will find the full conjugation of explicar in all thirteen tenses, notes on when to use each one, example sentences, the mistakes learners make most often, a ten-question quiz and answers to the questions students ask about this verb. For example: «Yo explico la lección todos los días.» — I explain the lesson every day.
Quick facts
| Infinitive | explicar |
| English | to explain |
| Verb type | Irregular -ar verb |
| Gerund | explicando |
| Past participle | explicado |
| Auxiliary verb | haber |
Full conjugation tables
Gerund: explicando · Past participle: explicado
Present Indicative
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | explico |
| tú | explicas |
| él/ella/Ud. | explica |
| nosotros/as | explicamos |
| vosotros/as | explicáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | explican |
The present tense describes habits, facts and what is happening now. For explicar, the yo form is explico, as in «Yo explico» in the examples below. Use the present for routines («todos los días») and for general truths.
Preterite
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | expliqué |
| tú | explicaste |
| él/ella/Ud. | explicó |
| nosotros/as | explicamos |
| vosotros/as | explicasteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | explicaron |
The preterite describes completed actions in the past — things that started and finished. «Ayer yo expliqué» is the classic use. Do not confuse it with the imperfect: the preterite moves the story forward, one finished event at a time.
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | explicaba |
| tú | explicabas |
| él/ella/Ud. | explicaba |
| nosotros/as | explicábamos |
| vosotros/as | explicabais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | explicaban |
The imperfect describes the past as background: habits, descriptions and actions in progress. «De pequeño, yo explicaba» shows the habitual use. It sets the scene while the preterite reports what happened inside it.
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | explicaré |
| tú | explicarás |
| él/ella/Ud. | explicará |
| nosotros/as | explicaremos |
| vosotros/as | explicaréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | explicarán |
The future tense states what will happen. For explicar the future is built on the infinitive: «Mañana yo explicaré». It is also used for predictions and promises, and in spoken Spanish it often alternates with ir a + infinitive.
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | explicaría |
| tú | explicarías |
| él/ella/Ud. | explicaría |
| nosotros/as | explicaríamos |
| vosotros/as | explicaríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | explicarían |
The conditional expresses what would happen: wishes, polite requests and hypothetical results. «Si tuviera más tiempo, yo explicaría» is the typical pattern. It shares its stem with the future and changes only the endings.
Present Perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he explicado |
| tú | has explicado |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha explicado |
| nosotros/as | hemos explicado |
| vosotros/as | habéis explicado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han explicado |
The present perfect connects the past with the present: something that has happened, often today or recently. It is haber in the present plus the past participle: «Hoy yo he explicado». In Spain it is used for anything that happened today; in Latin America the preterite is often preferred.
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había explicado |
| tú | habías explicado |
| él/ella/Ud. | había explicado |
| nosotros/as | habíamos explicado |
| vosotros/as | habíais explicado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían explicado |
The pluperfect describes an event that happened before another past event: «Cuando llegué, ya había explicado». It is haber in the imperfect plus the past participle, and it is the tense for explaining what had already happened when something else took place.
Future Perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré explicado |
| tú | habrás explicado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá explicado |
| nosotros/as | habremos explicado |
| vosotros/as | habréis explicado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán explicado |
The future perfect looks back from a future point: by then, something will already have happened. «Para mañana, yo habré explicado» is the pattern — haber in the future plus the past participle. It is less common in speech but regular in formal writing.
Conditional Perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría explicado |
| tú | habrías explicado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría explicado |
| nosotros/as | habríamos explicado |
| vosotros/as | habríais explicado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían explicado |
The conditional perfect expresses what would have happened: «Yo habría explicado si hubiera podido». It is haber in the conditional plus the past participle, and it is the tense for regrets and missed chances.
Present Subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | explique |
| tú | expliques |
| él/ella/Ud. | explique |
| nosotros/as | expliquemos |
| vosotros/as | expliquéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | expliquen |
The present subjunctive appears after wishes, doubts, emotions and impersonal expressions: «Espero que él explique». The trigger is in the main clause; the subjunctive is the mood of uncertainty, desire and influence. Learn the yo form first — most of the table follows from it.
Imperfect Subjunctive (-ra forms)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | explicara |
| tú | explicaras |
| él/ella/Ud. | explicara |
| nosotros/as | explicáramos |
| vosotros/as | explicarais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | explicaran |
The imperfect subjunctive is the past partner of the present subjunctive, used after past-tense triggers and in si-clauses: «Si él explicara, todo sería distinto». The table above shows the -ra forms, the ones you will hear most often. There is also a less common -se set built on the same stem.
Imperative — Affirmative
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | explica |
| él/ella/Ud. | explique |
| nosotros/as | expliquemos |
| vosotros/as | explicad |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | expliquen |
There is no yo form in the imperative — you cannot command yourself.
The affirmative imperative gives direct commands and instructions: «¡Explica!». There is no yo form — you cannot command yourself. The tú form is the one you will use with friends and family, and the usted form with people you address formally.
Imperative — Negative
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | expliques |
| él/ella/Ud. | explique |
| nosotros/as | expliquemos |
| vosotros/as | expliquéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | expliquen |
There is no yo form in the imperative — you cannot command yourself.
The negative imperative tells someone not to do something: «¡No expliques!». Unlike the affirmative imperative, the negative forms come from the present subjunctive, which is why they look different. Never use the affirmative form after no.
Example sentences
- Yo explico la lección todos los días. — I explain the lesson every day.
- Mi hermana explica la lección mucho. — My sister explains the lesson a lot.
- Ayer yo expliqué la lección por la tarde. — Yesterday I explained the lesson in the afternoon.
- De pequeño, yo explicaba la lección muchas veces. — As a child, I used to explain the lesson often.
- Mañana yo explicaré la lección sin falta. — Tomorrow I will explain the lesson without fail.
- Si tuviera más tiempo, yo explicaría la lección ahora mismo. — If I had more time, I would explain the lesson right now.
- Hoy yo he explicado con ejemplos dos veces. — Today I have explained with examples twice.
- Espero que él explique la lección pronto. — I hope he explains the lesson soon.
- ¡Explica la lección otra vez! — Explain the lesson again!
- Ahora mismo estoy explicando la lección. — Right now I am explaining the lesson.
Common mistakes
1. Using the regular stem in the preterite
Wrong: explicé
Right: expliqué
Explicar does not keep its infinitive stem here. The correct form is expliqué; the regular-looking explicé is a form learners invent by applying the standard endings to the wrong stem.
2. Using the imperfect for a finished event
Wrong: Ayer yo explicaba la lección.
Right: Ayer yo expliqué la lección.
Yesterday's finished action needs the preterite, expliqué. The imperfect explicaba describes what used to happen or what was going on, not a single completed event.
3. Confusing it with a similar verb
Wrong: *Explico a la lección.
Right: Explico la lección.
Explicar takes a direct object with no preposition: explicar la lección, explicar el problema.
4. Using the indicative after a subjunctive trigger
Wrong: Espero que tú explicas la lección.
Right: Espero que tú expliques la lección.
After espero que, Spanish requires the subjunctive: expliques, not the indicative explicas. Wishes, hopes and doubts all trigger this change.
5. Using the affirmative imperative after no
Wrong: No explica la lección.
Right: No expliques la lección.
Negative commands use the subjunctive-based forms: no expliques. The affirmative explica can never follow no.
Quiz
Test yourself on the forms above. Choose the correct answer, then check the key below.
1. What is the yo form of explicar in the present tense?
- (a) explica
- (b) explicamos
- (c) explicas
- (d) explico
2. What is the él/ella form of explicar in the preterite?
- (a) explicamos
- (b) explicaste
- (c) explicó
- (d) expliqué
3. What is the nosotros form of explicar in the imperfect?
- (a) explicaba
- (b) explicabas
- (c) explicábamos
4. What is the tú form of explicar in the future tense?
- (a) explicaremos
- (b) explicará
- (c) explicarás
- (d) explicaré
5. What is the ellos form of explicar in the conditional?
- (a) explicaría
- (b) explicarían
- (c) explicarías
6. What is the yo form of explicar in the present perfect?
- (a) ha explicado
- (b) has explicado
- (c) he explicado
- (d) hemos explicado
7. After «Espero que…», what is the tú form of explicar?
- (a) explique
- (b) expliquemos
- (c) expliques
8. What is the nosotros form of explicar in the imperfect subjunctive (-ra)?
- (a) explicara
- (b) explicáramos
- (c) explicaras
9. What is the gerund of explicar?
- (a) explicado
- (b) explicando
- (c) explicar
- (d) explico
10. What is the past participle of explicar?
- (a) explicado
- (b) explicando
- (c) explicar
- (d) expliqué
Answer key
1. (d) explico — In the present, the yo form of explicar is explico. The other options are the same tense but different persons.
2. (c) explicó — In the preterite, the el form of explicar is explicó. The other options are the same tense but different persons.
3. (c) explicábamos — In the imperfect, the nosotros form of explicar is explicábamos. The other options are the same tense but different persons.
4. (c) explicarás — In the future, the tu form of explicar is explicarás. The other options are the same tense but different persons.
5. (b) explicarían — In the conditional, the ellos form of explicar is explicarían. The other options are the same tense but different persons.
6. (c) he explicado — In the present perfect, the yo form of explicar is he explicado. The other options are the same tense but different persons.
7. (c) expliques — In the present subjunctive, the tu form of explicar is expliques. The other options are the same tense but different persons.
8. (b) explicáramos — In the imperfect subjunctive, the nosotros form of explicar is explicáramos. The other options are the same tense but different persons.
9. (b) explicando — The gerund of explicar is explicando. It is used with estar for the progressive: «Estoy explicando».
10. (a) explicado — The past participle of explicar is explicado. It follows haber in all the perfect tenses: «he explicado».
Frequently asked questions
Is explicar regular or irregular?
No — explicar is irregular. The tenses that break the regular pattern are: . Learn those forms as a set, and use the regular pattern for the rest.
What are the gerund and past participle of explicar?
The gerund is explicando and the past participle is explicado. Use the gerund with estar for actions in progress («Estoy explicando») and the participle with haber for the perfect tenses («he explicado»).
What is the difference between explicar and enseñar?
Explicar and enseñar are often confused. Enseñar is to teach a subject; explicar is to explain one point clearly.
How do I say «I explain» in Spanish?
Say «Yo explico». That is the yo form of the present tense, the form you need for talking about yourself right now.
Why does the spelling of explicar change?
Spanish spelling changes to keep the pronunciation of the stem. In explicar, the consonant changes before an e so the sound stays the same: the preterite yo is expliqué, and the subjunctive follows the same pattern. It is a spelling rule, not a new sound.
Related links
- Practise this verb in one tense: explicar-present-tense
- More examples and a quiz: explicar-examples-and-quiz
- Browse all Spanish verbs: /spanish/
- Full list of irregular verbs: spanish-irregular-verbs
- Related verb: enseñar
- Related verb: preguntar
- Related verb: responder
- Conjugate any verb: verb-conjugator
- Test yourself: verb-quiz