descubrió
/des-coo-BREE-oh/
discovered
When someone discovered (descubrió) something new or previously unknown, like an ancient artifact.
descubrió(Verb (Simple Past Tense))
discovered
?found something new or previously unknown
,uncovered
?removed a covering
located
?found the position of something
📝 In Action
El arqueólogo descubrió una vasija muy antigua en las ruinas.
A2The archaeologist discovered a very old vase in the ruins.
Ella descubrió un nuevo café cerca de su oficina.
A2She discovered a new café near her office.
La policía descubrió el escondite de los ladrones.
B1The police uncovered the thieves' hiding place.
💡 Grammar Points
Preterite Tense Use
This form ('descubrió') describes a single, completed action in the past: the moment the discovery happened.
Who Did It?
The subject is always 'él' (he), 'ella' (she), 'usted' (you formal), or a singular noun (e.g., 'El científico').
❌ Common Pitfalls
Mixing Past Tenses
Mistake: "Using 'descubría' when you mean 'descubrió'."
Correction: 'Descubrió' is for a finished action (He found it once). 'Descubría' is for repeated actions or background description (He used to discover things).
⭐ Usage Tips
Irregular Participle
Remember the infinitive 'descubrir' has an irregular past participle: 'descubierto' (discovered/uncovered), not *descubrido.
When someone found out (descubrió) a secret or truth that was previously hidden.
descubrió(Verb (Simple Past Tense))
found out
?learned a secret or truth
,realized
?understood a fact or situation
detected
?figured out a problem
📝 In Action
Ella descubrió que su novio le mintió sobre el viaje.
B1She found out that her boyfriend lied to her about the trip.
Al final, el detective descubrió quién era el culpable.
B2In the end, the detective figured out who the culprit was.
Usted descubrió que la vida en la ciudad no era para usted.
B1You (formal) realized that city life was not for you.
💡 Grammar Points
Using 'Que'
When discovering a fact, 'descubrió' is almost always followed by 'que' (that), which introduces the information that was learned.
⭐ Usage Tips
Figurative Use
Use this meaning when the discovery is internal (a realization or a secret), rather than finding a physical object.
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: descubrió
Question 1 of 2
Which English sentence correctly translates the Spanish sentence: 'El niño descubrió el regalo debajo de la cama.'
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between 'descubrió' and 'descubría'?
'Descubrió' is the preterite tense, used for a single, completed action in the past (e.g., 'He discovered the treasure yesterday'). 'Descubría' is the imperfect tense, used for repeated actions, ongoing actions, or descriptions in the past (e.g., 'He used to discover new things often').
Is 'descubrir' a regular or irregular verb?
It is mostly regular in its conjugations (like 'descubrió'), but its past participle form is irregular. Instead of the regular '-ido' ending, it uses 'descubierto' (like in 'ha descubierto').