escapó
“escapó” means “escaped” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
escaped, ran away
Also: got away
📝 In Action
El perro se escapó por la puerta abierta.
A2The dog escaped through the open door.
Ella escapó de la prisión hace dos días.
B1She escaped from the prison two days ago.
¿Cómo escapó usted de esa situación tan difícil?
B1How did you (formal) escape that difficult situation?
slipped away, missed (a chance)
Also: got away
📝 In Action
Se le escapó la respuesta correcta en el examen.
B1The correct answer slipped his mind during the exam. (Literally: The answer escaped him.)
El secreto escapó antes de que pudieran detenerlo.
B2The secret got out before they could stop it.
La oportunidad de viajar escapó de sus manos.
C1The opportunity to travel slipped through his hands.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
Translate to Spanish
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: escapó
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence correctly uses 'escapó' to mean a memory was lost?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
The verb 'escapar' comes from the Late Latin word *excaptare*, meaning 'to get out' or 'to take oneself out of.' It is related to the idea of pulling oneself out of a capture or a difficult situation.
First recorded: Medieval Spanish
Cognates (Related words)
💡 Master Spanish
Take your Spanish to the next level. Read 200+ illustrated and narrated Spanish stories tailored to your level with the Inklingo app!
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does 'escapó' have an accent mark?
The accent mark on the 'ó' is essential! It shows that the stress falls on the final syllable, which is the standard pattern for all 'él/ella/usted' forms in the simple past (preterite) tense of regular -ar verbs.
What is the difference between 'escapó' and 'escapaba'?
'Escapó' (preterite) tells you the escape happened and finished at a specific point in the past (e.g., 'He escaped yesterday'). 'Escapaba' (imperfect) describes the ongoing process of escaping or a past habit (e.g., 'He was escaping' or 'He used to escape').