Italian vocabulary · Beginner

How do you say "explain" in Italian?

spiegare

Verb Noun

In Italian, "explain" is spiegare.

Listen to the pronunciation:

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Pronunciation

Spiegare is spyeh-GAH-reh, stress on the third syllable, with 'ie' gliding quickly so it almost sounds like one syllable, 'spye'.

Grammar notes

spiegare is a verb used the same way as its English equivalent.

Example sentence

Puoi spiegare questa parola?

Can you explain this word?

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How to remember spiegare

You spy out the details when someone must spiegare (explain) something - 'spie' looks like 'spy'.

Related words

Browse all Italian words in the glossary.

Questions about spiegare

How do you pronounce spiegare?

Spiegare is spyeh-GAH-reh, stress on the third syllable, with 'ie' gliding quickly so it almost sounds like one syllable, 'spye'.

Is spiegare formal or casual?

spiegare is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech.

How is spiegare used in Italian?

spiegare is used the same way as the equivalent English verb. For example: Puoi spiegare questa parola? (Can you explain this word?).

Where can I practice Italian words for free?

You can play free Italian minigames in your browser on the Noun Town online games page, no sign-up required. Every word in the Italian glossary also has native audio and an example sentence you can revisit any time.

"Explain" in other languages

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