French verb

Conjugation of expliquer

The French verb expliquer means "to explain". Below are its 7 tenses as tables, 4 example sentences and answers to 3 common questions. Press play next to a present tense form or an example to hear it.

Meaning
to explain
Type
Regular -er verb
Auxiliary
avoir
Present participle
expliquant
Past participle
expliqué
Quick answer

The present tense of expliquer is j'explique, tu expliques, il/elle explique, nous expliquons, vous expliquez, ils/elles expliquent. It is a regular -er verb, so every tense takes the standard -er endings. Its present participle is expliquant and its past participle is expliqué. Its compound tenses are formed with avoir. Every present form and 4 example sentences have a listen button.

Present tense of expliquer

Present Présent
j' explique
tu expliques
il/elle explique
nous expliquons
vous expliquez
ils/elles expliquent

More tenses of expliquer

Compound past Passé composé
j' ai expliqué
tu as expliqué
il/elle a expliqué
nous avons expliqué
vous avez expliqué
ils/elles ont expliqué
Imperfect Imparfait
j' expliquais
tu expliquais
il/elle expliquait
nous expliquions
vous expliquiez
ils/elles expliquaient
Future Futur simple
j' expliquerai
tu expliqueras
il/elle expliquera
nous expliquerons
vous expliquerez
ils/elles expliqueront
Conditional Conditionnel présent
j' expliquerais
tu expliquerais
il/elle expliquerait
nous expliquerions
vous expliqueriez
ils/elles expliqueraient
Present subjunctive Subjonctif présent
que j' explique
que tu expliques
qu'il/elle explique
que nous expliquions
que vous expliquiez
qu'ils/elles expliquent
Imperative Impératif
tu explique
nous expliquons
vous expliquez

Notes on expliquer

Expliquer is regular. It follows the regular -er pattern, with forms such as explique, expliquons, and expliquaient.

Meet expliquer in real French books

Lingo7 is an app for reading books in French with a translation under every sentence and audio, so the forms in these tables come back in context.

Download on App Store
Get it on Google Play

Example sentences with expliquer

  • J'explique la règle à mon frère. I explain the rule to my brother.
  • Nous avons expliqué le problème hier. We explained the problem yesterday.
  • Elle expliquera tout après le dîner. She will explain everything after dinner.
  • Vous expliquiez souvent les exercices ensemble. You often explained the exercises together.
parler to speak demander to ask raconter to tell, recount

Conjugate any other French verb in the conjugator →

All 151 common French verbs →

More free French tools

French CEFR level testCommon French idiomsFrench false friendsFrench starter flashcardsHow long to learn FrenchFrench IPA translatorFrench books by levelFrench travel phrasesFrench vocabulary size test

Frequently asked questions

Is expliquer a regular French verb?

Yes, expliquer is regular. Its forms follow the regular -er model.

What are the present tense forms of expliquer?

The forms are explique, expliques, explique, expliquons, expliquez, and expliquent.

What are the participles and auxiliary of expliquer?

The present participle is expliquant and the past participle is expliqué. The auxiliary is avoir.