desaparecido
/des-ah-pah-reh-SEE-doh/
missing
When used as an adjective, desaparecido means something is 'missing' or lost.
📝 In Action
El collar de oro está desaparecido desde anoche.
B1The gold necklace has been missing since last night.
Encontraron el coche desaparecido a pocos kilómetros de la ciudad.
B2They found the vanished car a few kilometers from the city.
💡 Grammar Points
Gender and Number Agreement
Since this is an adjective (it describes a noun), it must change its ending to match the thing it is describing: 'la cartera desaparecida' (feminine, singular) or 'los documentos desaparecidos' (masculine, plural).
❌ Common Pitfalls
Using the Wrong Verb
Mistake: "Using 'ser' instead of 'estar' (El libro es desaparecido)."
Correction: Use 'estar' (El libro está desaparecido). Being missing is a temporary state, not a permanent quality of the book.
⭐ Usage Tips
Participle Origin
Remember this word comes from the verb 'desaparecer' (to disappear). Any time you use it as an adjective, you are essentially describing the result of that action.
As a noun, desaparecido refers to a 'missing person.'
desaparecido(Noun)
missing person
?a person who is absent and unaccounted for
casualty (archaic)
?in military contexts, referring to someone missing in action
📝 In Action
La Guardia Costera sigue buscando al desaparecido en el mar.
B2The Coast Guard is still searching for the missing person in the sea.
La lista de desaparecidos incluía a varios turistas.
C1The list of missing persons included several tourists.
💡 Grammar Points
Using 'El' or 'La'
When used as a noun, you need the definite article (el, la, los, las) in front. 'El desaparecido' is the man who is missing, and 'la desaparecida' is the woman who is missing.
⭐ Usage Tips
Formal Contexts
This noun is most common in police reports, news articles, or official announcements about finding someone.
In historical and political contexts, los desaparecidos refers to 'the disappeared,' victims of forced disappearance.
desaparecido(Noun)
the disappeared
?referring to victims of forced disappearance by state actors
politically missing person
?victim of an authoritarian regime
📝 In Action
La búsqueda de los desaparecidos es un tema central en la memoria histórica.
C1The search for the disappeared is a central issue in historical memory.
Cada 24 de marzo se rinde homenaje a los miles de desaparecidos.
C2Every March 24th, tribute is paid to the thousands of disappeared victims.
💡 Grammar Points
Collective Use
When talking about this historical context, the plural 'los desaparecidos' is frequently used to refer to all the victims collectively, regardless of their gender.
⭐ Usage Tips
Specific Meaning
In this context, 'desaparecido' means someone taken away or detained by the government or state security forces, whose fate is officially denied or hidden. It carries significant historical weight.
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: desaparecido
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence uses 'desaparecido' with the historical meaning of forced abduction?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 'desaparecido' a verb or an adjective?
It is officially the past participle of the verb 'desaparecer,' but in everyday conversation and news reporting, it functions as an adjective ('missing') or a noun ('a missing person').
Can I use 'desaparecido' for an object?
Yes, absolutely! If you can't find your keys or your wallet, you can say they are 'desaparecidos' (or 'desaparecidas,' depending on the object's gender and number).