apareció
ah-pah-reh-SYOH
Quick Reference
📝 In Action
De repente, el sol apareció detrás de las nubes.
A1Suddenly, the sun appeared behind the clouds.
Mi hermano apareció en la fiesta sin avisar a nadie.
A2My brother showed up at the party without telling anyone.
La carta perdida apareció justo cuando íbamos a llamar a la oficina de correos.
B1The lost letter turned up just when we were about to call the post office.
💡 Grammar Points
Past Action Completed
'Apareció' is the simple past tense (preterite) and is used for an action that started and finished at a specific point in the past, like 'The dog appeared at 5 PM.'
Subject Change
This form is used when the subject is a single person (he, she, or formal you/usted) or a single thing (it).
❌ Common Pitfalls
Preterite vs. Imperfect
Mistake: "Usando 'aparecía' para un evento único: 'El fantasma aparecía de repente.'"
Correction: Use 'apareció' for a single event: 'El fantasma apareció de repente.' (The ghost appeared suddenly.) 'Aparecía' would mean 'it used to appear' or 'it was appearing.'
⭐ Usage Tips
Use with 'De Repente'
This verb form often pairs with phrases like 'de repente' (suddenly) or 'finalmente' (finally) because it describes a sudden, completed event.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: apareció
Question 1 of 1
Which sentence correctly uses 'apareció' to describe a single event that happened and finished in the past?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does the base verb 'aparecer' change its spelling in the present tense (aparezco)?
The change from 'c' to 'zc' in the 'yo' form (aparezco) is a spelling change required for many verbs ending in -cer or -cir. It ensures the 'c' sound remains soft (like an 's' or 'th' sound, depending on the region) before the 'o' ending, matching the sound in the rest of the verb.