spiega

Spiega is the present tense form of the Italian verb spiegare, meaning to explain. In standard usage, it is the third-person singular present indicative: he explains or she explains. It is also used for the formal second-person address in Italian when the pronoun Lei is applied, as in Lei spiega, which translates to “you explain” in a formal register. The same spelling spiega can also be the informal second-person singular imperative, giving a direct command: Spiega! meaning “Explain!”

Etymology and cognates: spiegare derives from Latin explicare, from ex- “out” and plicare “to fold,” with the sense of unfolding or clarifying something. The form spiega is thus a direct reflex of the verb’s conjugation pattern in the present tense.

Conjugation context: The full present tense of spiegare includes io spiego, tu spieghi, lui/lei spiega, noi spieghiamo, voi spiegate, loro spiegano. The imperative forms for tu are typically spiegare with the stem adjusted, so Spiega! is a common command. The verb also appears in related forms across moods, such as spieghi in the present subjunctive.

Usage notes: Spiega is widely used in education, media, and everyday speech when conveying explanations or instructive statements. Its meaning remains lexical and straightforward—simply to convey or request an explanation, depending on the grammatical person and mood.

See also: spiegare, spiegazione, spiegato.