aclarar

Portuguese

Alternative forms

• acclarar (obsolete)

Etymology

From Latin acclārāre (“to make clear”), from clārus (“clear”).

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /a.klaˈɾa(ʁ)/ [a.klaˈɾa(h)]

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /a.klaˈɾa(ʁ)/ [a.klaˈɾa(h)]
  • (São Paulo) IPA^(key): /a.klaˈɾa(ɾ)/
  • (Rio de Janeiro) IPA^(key): /a.klaˈɾa(ʁ)/ [a.klaˈɾa(χ)]
  • (Southern Brazil) IPA^(key): /a.klaˈɾa(ɻ)/

 

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ɐ.klɐˈɾaɾ/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ɐ.klɐˈɾaɾ/
  • (Southern Portugal) IPA^(key): /ɐ.klɐˈɾa.ɾi/

Verb

aclarar (first-person singular present aclaro, first-person singular preterite aclarei, past participle aclarado)

1. to clarify (to make sure something is understood correctly)

   Synonyms: aclarear, clarificar, elucidar, esclarecer

   Professor, pode aclarar sua resposta?

   Teacher, can you clarify your answer?

2. to become or make clear, less dark

   Synonyms: aclarear, clarear, esclarecer

   Antonym: escurecer

   A lua aclarou a noite.

   The moon made the night clear.

   O dia aclarou.

   The day became clear.

3. (transitive) to clear (one’s throat)

   Synonym: limpar a garganta

   João aclarou sua garganta.

   John cleared his throat.

4. (transitive) to make (one’s voice) clearer

   Antes de começar a falar, aclare sua voz.

   Before you begin talking, clear your voice.

Conjugation

    Conjugation of aclarar (See Appendix:Portuguese verbs)

	Singular			Plural
	First-person (eu)	Second-person (tu)	Third-person (ele / ela / você)	First-person (nós)	Second-person (vós)	Third-person (eles / elas / vocês)
Infinitive
Impersonal	aclarar
Personal	aclarar	aclarares	aclarar	aclararmos	aclarardes	aclararem
Gerund
	aclarando
Past participle
Masculine	aclarado			aclarados
Feminine	aclarada			aclaradas
Indicative
Present	aclaro	aclaras	aclara	aclaramos	aclarais	aclaram
Imperfect	aclarava	aclaravas	aclarava	aclarávamos	aclaráveis	aclaravam
Preterite	aclarei	aclaraste	aclarou	aclaramos1, aclarámos2	aclarastes	aclararam
Pluperfect	aclarara	aclararas	aclarara	aclaráramos	aclaráreis	aclararam
Future	aclararei	aclararás	aclarará	aclararemos	aclarareis	aclararão
Conditional	aclararia	aclararias	aclararia	aclararíamos	aclararíeis	aclarariam
Subjunctive
Present	aclare	aclares	aclare	aclaremos	aclareis	aclarem
Imperfect	aclarasse	aclarasses	aclarasse	aclarássemos	aclarásseis	aclarassem
Future	aclarar	aclarares	aclarar	aclararmos	aclarardes	aclararem
Imperative
Affirmative		aclara	aclare	aclaremos	aclarai	aclarem
Negative (não)		não aclares	não aclare	não aclaremos	não aclareis	não aclarem

¹Brazilian Portuguese.
²European Portuguese.

Related terms

• aclaração
• aclarado
• aclarador
• aclaramento
• aclaratório
• aclarecer
• claro

Further reading

• “aclarar”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2025

Spanish

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin acclārāre (“to make evident”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /aklaˈɾaɾ/ [a.klaˈɾaɾ]

• Audio (Colombia):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aɾ
• Syllabification: a‧cla‧rar

Verb

aclarar (first-person singular present aclaro, first-person singular preterite aclaré, past participle aclarado)

1. to clarify, clear (make clear or clearer)

   Hay que aclarar este asunto.

   This matter must be clarified.

2. (transitive) to explain; to clarify

   Synonyms: explicar, esclarecer

3. to water down
4. (Spain) to rinse (soap from hands)
5. (intransitive, of the weather) to clear up

   Synonym: escampar

   Parece que el día aclara.

   The day seems to be clearing up.

6. (reflexive) to set things straight, get things clear (in one's mind)

   Synonym: despejarse

Conjugation

    Conjugation of aclarar (See Appendix:Spanish verbs)

infinitive			aclarar
gerund			aclarando
past participle				masculine		feminine
		singular		aclarado		aclarada
		plural		aclarados		aclaradas
		singular			plural
		1st person	2nd person	3rd person	1st person	2nd person	3rd person
indicative		yo	tú vos	él/ella/ello usted	nosotros nosotras	vosotros vosotras	ellos/ellas ustedes
	present	aclaro	aclarastú aclarásvos	aclara	aclaramos	aclaráis	aclaran
	imperfect	aclaraba	aclarabas	aclaraba	aclarábamos	aclarabais	aclaraban
	preterite	aclaré	aclaraste	aclaró	aclaramos	aclarasteis	aclararon
	future	aclararé	aclararás	aclarará	aclararemos	aclararéis	aclararán
	conditional	aclararía	aclararías	aclararía	aclararíamos	aclararíais	aclararían
subjunctive		yo	tú vos	él/ella/ello usted	nosotros nosotras	vosotros vosotras	ellos/ellas ustedes
	present	aclare	aclarestú aclarésvos2	aclare	aclaremos	aclaréis	aclaren
	imperfect (ra)	aclarara	aclararas	aclarara	aclaráramos	aclararais	aclararan
	imperfect (se)	aclarase	aclarases	aclarase	aclarásemos	aclaraseis	aclarasen
	future1	aclarare	aclarares	aclarare	aclaráremos	aclarareis	aclararen
imperative		—	tú vos	usted	nosotros nosotras	vosotros vosotras	ustedes
	affirmative		aclaratú aclarávos	aclare	aclaremos	aclarad	aclaren
	negative		no aclares	no aclare	no aclaremos	no aclaréis	no aclaren

¹Mostly obsolete, now mainly used in legal language.
²Argentine and Uruguayan voseo prefers the tú form for the present subjunctive.

    Selected combined forms of aclarar

These forms are generated automatically and may not actually be used. Pronoun usage varies by region.

		singular			plural
		1st person	2nd person	3rd person	1st person	2nd person	3rd person
with infinitive aclarar	dative	aclararme	aclararte	aclararle, aclararse	aclararnos	aclararos	aclararles, aclararse
	accusative	aclararme	aclararte	aclararlo, aclararla, aclararse	aclararnos	aclararos	aclararlos, aclararlas, aclararse
with gerund aclarando	dative	aclarándome	aclarándote	aclarándole, aclarándose	aclarándonos	aclarándoos	aclarándoles, aclarándose
	accusative	aclarándome	aclarándote	aclarándolo, aclarándola, aclarándose	aclarándonos	aclarándoos	aclarándolos, aclarándolas, aclarándose
with informal second-person singular tú imperative aclara	dative	aclárame	aclárate	aclárale	acláranos	not used	aclárales
	accusative	aclárame	aclárate	acláralo, aclárala	acláranos	not used	acláralos, acláralas
with informal second-person singular vos imperative aclará	dative	aclarame	aclarate	aclarale	aclaranos	not used	aclarales
	accusative	aclarame	aclarate	aclaralo, aclarala	aclaranos	not used	aclaralos, aclaralas
with formal second-person singular imperative aclare	dative	acláreme	not used	aclárele, aclárese	aclárenos	not used	acláreles
	accusative	acláreme	not used	aclárelo, aclárela, aclárese	aclárenos	not used	aclárelos, aclárelas
with first-person plural imperative aclaremos	dative	not used	aclarémoste	aclarémosle	aclarémonos	aclarémoos	aclarémosles
	accusative	not used	aclarémoste	aclarémoslo, aclarémosla	aclarémonos	aclarémoos	aclarémoslos, aclarémoslas
with informal second-person plural imperative aclarad	dative	aclaradme	not used	aclaradle	aclaradnos	aclaraos	aclaradles
	accusative	aclaradme	not used	aclaradlo, aclaradla	aclaradnos	aclaraos	aclaradlos, aclaradlas
with formal second-person plural imperative aclaren	dative	aclárenme	not used	aclárenle	aclárennos	not used	aclárenles, aclárense
	accusative	aclárenme	not used	aclárenlo, aclárenla	aclárennos	not used	aclárenlos, aclárenlas, aclárense

Derived terms

• aclaración
• aclarador
• aclaramiento
• aclaratorio

Related terms

• claro

Further reading

• “aclarar”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2024 December 10