aparecer
“aparecer” means “to appear” in Spanish. It has 3 different meanings depending on context:
to appear, to show up
Also: to emerge
📝 In Action
De repente, un perro apareció en la calle.
A1Suddenly, a dog appeared in the street.
Ella siempre aparece tarde a las reuniones.
A2She always shows up late to the meetings.
El sol aparece detrás de las montañas al amanecer.
B1The sun appears behind the mountains at dawn.
to turn up
Also: to resurface
📝 In Action
¿Viste mis llaves? ¡Por fin aparecieron!
B1Did you see my keys? They finally turned up!
Después de muchos años, el manuscrito original apareció en una subasta.
B2After many years, the original manuscript surfaced at an auction.
to feature
Also: to be published, to appear (in court)
📝 In Action
Su nombre no aparece en la lista de invitados.
B2Her name does not feature (or appear) on the guest list.
El acusado debe aparecer ante el juez mañana por la mañana.
C1The defendant must appear before the judge tomorrow morning.
El artículo sobre el cambio climático apareció en todos los periódicos.
B2The article about climate change was published in all the newspapers.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
🔀 Commonly Confused With
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✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: aparecer
Question 1 of 2
Which form of 'aparecer' is used when talking about wishing something would show up?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
Comes from the Latin verb *apparēscere*, which itself is formed by combining *ad-* (meaning 'to' or 'toward') and *parēre* (meaning 'to be visible' or 'to obey'). Essentially, it means 'to come into visibility.'
First recorded: 13th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why does 'aparecer' change from 'c' to 'zc' in some forms?
This change (c to zc) is a sound rule in Spanish that keeps the original 's' sound of the verb's root consistent before the 'o' (yo) and 'a' (subjunctive) endings. It's a pattern shared by many verbs ending in -ecer, -ocer, and -ucir.
Is 'aparecer' reflexive, like 'to show oneself'?
No, 'aparecer' is generally used non-reflexively. If you want to say 'to show up' in the sense of presenting oneself formally, you might use 'presentarse' instead.