Italian · Everyday Verbs
"to explain" in Italian: spiegare
spiegare
To explain in Italian is spiegare. Present: spiego, spieghi, spiega. Spiego di nuovo means I'll explain again. La spiegazione is the noun, not the verb.
Map confusion
Aspetta—te lo spiego con la mappa.Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce spiegare
Say it
spyeh-GAH-reh
/spjeˈɡa.re/
Spiegare: spyeh-GAH-reh. Spiego: SPYEH-goh. Stress GAH / SPYEH.
"to explain" in Italian: quick reference
| Italian | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| spiegare | to explain Infinitive. | Infinitive. |
| spiego / spieghi / spiega | I/you/he-she explain(s) Present. | Present. |
| mi spieghi? | can you explain to me? Ask for help. | Ask for help. |
| te lo spiego | I'll explain it to you Offer. | Offer. |
How to use spiegare in real life
- 1Map confusion
Aspetta—te lo spiego con la mappa.
Wait—I'll explain it to you with the map.
Io spiego.
- 2Homework help
Mi spieghi questo esercizio?
Can you explain this exercise to me?
Tu spieghi.
- 3Recipe chat
Ora spiego il passaggio del soffritto.
Now I'll explain the soffritto step.
How-to.
Mistakes English speakers make with spiegare
Incorrect: Io spiegare tutto.
Correct: Spiego tutto.
Conjugate: io spiego.
Incorrect: Dammi la spiegazione. (as the only verb training)
Correct: Spiegami. / Te lo spiego.
Train the verb forms, not only the noun.
Good to know
Mi spieghi? is a friendly classroom and street ask. Italians gesture while they explain directions. Spiegare keeps patience polite—better than repeating louder in English.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Understanding a train ticket machine
ChatPal
Non capisco questo schermo.
I don't understand this screen.
You
Ok—te lo spiego passo passo.
Ok—I'll explain it step by step.
ChatPal
Grazie. Poi mi spieghi anche il cambio?
Thanks. Then can you explain the transfer too?
You
Certo, dopo il biglietto.
Sure, after the ticket.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"to explain" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "to explain" in Italian
Infinitive?
Spiegare.
I explain?
Spiego.
Explain to me?
Mi spieghi?
Noun?
La spiegazione is the explanation.
Learn a word, then use it out loud
- Step 1: See it in context
- Step 2: Say it out loud
- Step 3: Get feedback
- Step 4: Use it in real scenarios
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