Inklingo
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A smiling yellow star is peeking out from behind a bright red stage curtain, illustrating the action of appearing.

aparezca

ah-pah-REH-skah

VerbB1irregular er
appear?as in 'that it may appear',show up?as in 'that he/she shows up'
Also:turn up?to be found or located,be published?referring to an article or news item

Quick Reference

infinitiveaparecer
gerundapareciendo
past Participleaparecido

📝 In Action

Espero que la solución aparezca pronto.

B1

I hope the solution appears soon.

Dudamos que él aparezca en la reunión.

B2

We doubt that he will show up at the meeting.

¡Que aparezca usted en mi oficina a las diez!

B1

You must appear in my office at ten! (Formal command)

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • mostrar (to show)
  • surgir (to emerge)

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • aparezca en escena – appear on the scene

💡 Grammar Points

The 'zc' Irregularity

The word 'aparezca' is special because the 'c' changes to 'zc' before the 'a' sound. This happens in the 'yo' form of the present indicative ('aparezco') and carries through the entire present subjunctive, which is why we get 'aparezca'.

Subjunctive Function

'Aparezca' is the special verb form (subjunctive) used when expressing things like hopes, doubts, wishes, or uncertainty about the act of 'appearing.' If you are certain, you use 'aparece' (indicative).

❌ Common Pitfalls

Forgetting the 'z'

Mistake: "Espero que él *apareca*."

Correction: Espero que él *aparezca*. The 'c' must change to 'zc' to keep the correct 's' sound before an 'a' or 'o' sound.

⭐ Usage Tips

Formal Commands

You use 'aparezca' as a formal command (for 'usted'): 'No quiero que usted aparezca tarde' (I don't want you, formally, to show up late).

🔄 Conjugations

indicative

preterite

él/ella/ustedapareció
ellos/ellas/ustedesaparecieron
vosotrosaparecisteis
nosotrosaparecimos
yoaparecí
túapareciste

present

él/ella/ustedaparece
ellos/ellas/ustedesaparecen
vosotrosaparecéis
nosotrosaparecemos
yoaparezco
túapareces

imperfect

él/ella/ustedaparecía
ellos/ellas/ustedesaparecían
vosotrosaparecíais
nosotrosaparecíamos
yoaparecía
túaparecías

subjunctive

present

él/ella/ustedaparezca
ellos/ellas/ustedesaparezcan
vosotrosaparezcáis
nosotrosaparezcamos
yoaparezca
túaparezcas

imperfect

él/ella/ustedapareciera/apareciese
ellos/ellas/ustedesaparecieran/apareciesen
vosotrosaparecierais/aparecieseis
nosotrosapareciéramos/apareciésemos
yoapareciera/apareciese
túaparecieras/aparecieses
View All Tenses & Moods →

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: aparezca

Question 1 of 2

Which sentence correctly uses 'aparezca' to express a desire?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

aparecer(to appear (infinitive)) - verb
apariencia(appearance) - noun
aparición(apparition, showing up) - noun

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does 'aparecer' change its spelling to 'aparezca'?

This is a common pattern for verbs ending in -cer (like 'conocer' or 'agradecer'). The 'c' changes to 'zc' before an 'a' or 'o' to maintain the 's' sound that the verb has in its infinitive form. This change happens in the 'yo' form of the present indicative ('aparezco') and throughout the entire present subjunctive.

Is 'aparezca' used for 'I' or 'he/she'?

'Aparezca' is used for both 'yo' (I) and 'él/ella/usted' (he/she/you formal) in the present subjunctive mood. The context of the sentence (the subject of the main verb) tells you who is performing the action.