desaparecieron
“desaparecieron” means “they disappeared” in Spanish (past action).
they disappeared, they vanished
Also: you (plural, formal) disappeared, they went missing
📝 In Action
Las nubes desaparecieron después de la tormenta.
A2The clouds disappeared after the storm.
Los documentos importantes desaparecieron de la caja fuerte.
B1The important documents vanished from the safe.
Mis vecinos se mudaron y desaparecieron sin dejar una dirección.
B2My neighbors moved and disappeared without leaving an address.
🔄 Conjugations
subjunctive
imperfect
present
indicative
preterite
imperfect
present
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✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: desaparecieron
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence correctly uses 'desaparecieron'?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
Formed in Spanish by combining the negative prefix 'des-' (undoing) with the verb 'aparecer' (to appear), which comes from the Latin 'apparēscere'. The word literally means 'to un-appear.'
First recorded: Medieval Spanish
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the base verb 'desaparecer' considered irregular if 'desaparecieron' looks regular?
The verb 'desaparecer' is only slightly irregular in the Present Tense and Subjunctive, where the 'c' changes to 'zc' (e.g., 'yo desaparezco'). However, in the Simple Past (Preterite), the tense of 'desaparecieron', it follows the standard pattern for -er verbs perfectly.