Spiegare

Spiegare is Italian for to explain, to make something clear, or to account for. It is a transitive verb that normally takes a direct object, and it is commonly used with the preposition a to indicate the recipient, as in spiegare qualcosa a qualcuno.

Etymology and conjugation: Spiegare derives from Latin explicare, meaning to unfold or to explain. It belongs to the first conjugation (-are) and is regular in most forms, though it uses a spelling change to preserve a hard g before i in certain present-tense forms. Present indicative forms are io spiego, tu spieghi, lui/lei spiega, noi spieghiamo, voi spiegate, loro spiegano. The past participle is spiegato, the gerund is spiegando. Other common forms include spiegherò (future), spiegherei (conditional), spieghi (present subjunctive), and spiegassi (imperfect subjunctive).

Usage and nuance: Spiegare is used to make reasons, processes, or meanings clear. It can introduce definitions, instructions, or justifications, and it often appears with a direct object: spiegare una teoria, spiegare un procedimento. It is common in education, journalism, science, and everyday speech. Synonyms include chiarire, illustrare, auspicare, and descrivere, though each carries its own nuance.

Examples: Il professore spiega la lezione agli studenti. Puoi spiegarmi come funziona questo dispositivo? L’articolo spiega le cause dell’incendio. Spiegare qualcosa a qualcuno richiede spesso esempi o analogie per facilitare la comprensione.

Related forms: Spiegazione is the noun meaning explanation; spiegabile means explainable; spiegato is the past participle.