Conjugations › German › erklären

erklären

to explain

German Regular
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The German verb "erklären" means "to explain" in English. It is a regular verb. Below you'll find the complete conjugation tables for "erklären" across all 7 tenses.

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Present Simple Past Present Perfect Past Perfect Future Subjunctive I Subjunctive II

How to Conjugate "erklären" in the Present Tense

Präsens Actions happening now or regularly
Person English Conjugation
ich I erkläre
du you (informal) erklärst
er/sie/es he/she/it erklärt
wir we erklären
ihr you all (informal) erklärt
sie/Sie they/you (formal) erklären
Er erklärt den Weg zum Museum.
He explains the way to the museum.

How to Conjugate "erklären" in the Simple Past Tense

Präteritum Completed actions in the past (written/formal)
Person English Conjugation
ich I erklärte
du you (informal) erklärtest
er/sie/es he/she/it erklärte
wir we erklärten
ihr you all (informal) erklärtet
sie/Sie they/you (formal) erklärten
Er erklärte den Weg zum Hotel.
He explained the way to the hotel.

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How to Conjugate "erklären" in the Present Perfect Tense

Perfekt Completed actions (spoken German)
Person English Conjugation
ich I habe erklärt
du you (informal) hast erklärt
er/sie/es he/she/it hat erklärt
wir we haben erklärt
ihr you all (informal) habt erklärt
sie/Sie they/you (formal) haben erklärt
Sie hat die Regel erklärt.
She has explained the rule.

How to Conjugate "erklären" in the Past Perfect Tense

Plusquamperfekt Actions completed before another past action
Person English Conjugation
ich I hatte erklärt
du you (informal) hattest erklärt
er/sie/es he/she/it hatte erklärt
wir we hatten erklärt
ihr you all (informal) hattet erklärt
sie/Sie they/you (formal) hatten erklärt
Er hatte die Regel erklärt.
He had explained the rule.

How to Conjugate "erklären" in the Future Tense

Futur I Actions that will happen
Person English Conjugation
ich I werde erklären
du you (informal) wirst erklären
er/sie/es he/she/it wird erklären
wir we werden erklären
ihr you all (informal) werdet erklären
sie/Sie they/you (formal) werden erklären
Er wird den Plan erklären.
He will explain the plan.

How to Conjugate "erklären" in the Subjunctive I Tense

Konjunktiv I Indirect speech and formal requests
Person English Conjugation
ich I erkläre
du you (informal) erklärst
er/sie/es he/she/it erkläre
wir we erklären
ihr you all (informal) erklärt
sie/Sie they/you (formal) erklären
Er sagt, er erkläre das.
He says he explains that.

How to Conjugate "erklären" in the Subjunctive II Tense

Konjunktiv II Hypothetical situations and polite requests
Person English Conjugation
ich I erklärte
du you (informal) erklärtest
er/sie/es he/she/it erklärte
wir we erklärten
ihr you all (informal) erklärtet
sie/Sie they/you (formal) erklärten
Er erklärte den Plan.
He would explain the plan.
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Frequently Asked Questions About "erklären"

Is "erklären" regular or irregular in German?
"Erklären" is a regular German verb that follows standard conjugation patterns for its verb group.
What does "erklären" mean in English?
The German verb "erklären" means "to explain" in English.
How do you conjugate "erklären" in the present tense?
In the present tense (Präsens): ich → erkläre, du → erklärst, er/sie/es → erklärt, wir → erklären, ihr → erklärt, sie/Sie → erklären.
How many tenses does "erklären" have in German?
"Erklären" is conjugated across 7 tenses in German: Present, Simple Past, Present Perfect, Past Perfect, Future, Subjunctive I, Subjunctive II.

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