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esconder

ess-kohn-DEHR/es.konˈdeɾ/

“esconder” means “to hide” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:

to hide, to conceal

Also: to stash
VerbA1regular er
A small, colorful toy shovel is tucked out of sight beneath a stack of three large, striped beach towels on a sandy beach.
infinitiveesconder
gerundescondiendo
past Participleescondido

📝 In Action

Escondí el regalo para que nadie lo viera antes de la fiesta.

A1

I hid the present so that no one would see it before the party.

Ella siempre esconde sus sentimientos detrás de una sonrisa.

B1

She always conceals her feelings behind a smile.

¿Dónde escondiste las llaves del coche?

A2

Where did you hide the car keys?

Word Connections

Synonyms

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • esconder la verdad – to hide the truth
  • esconder algo valioso – to hide something valuable

to hide oneself

Also: to be hidden
VerbA2regular (reflexive) er
A child in a bright yellow shirt is crouched down completely behind a large, dense green bush, with only the top of their head and eyes visible peeking out.
infinitiveesconderse
gerundescondiéndose
past Participleescondido

📝 In Action

El gato se escondió debajo de la cama cuando oyó el ruido.

A2

The cat hid (itself) under the bed when it heard the noise.

¡Vamos a jugar! Yo cuento y ustedes se esconden.

A1

Let's play! I'll count and you all hide.

El sol se esconde temprano en invierno.

B1

The sun hides (sets) early in winter.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • refugiarse (to take refuge)

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • esconderse de la policía – to hide from the police
  • esconderse bajo la mesa – to hide under the table

🔄 Conjugations

indicative

present

él/ella/ustedesconde
yoescondo
túescondes
ellos/ellas/ustedesesconden
nosotrosescondemos
vosotrosescondéis

imperfect

él/ella/ustedescondía
yoescondía
túescondías
ellos/ellas/ustedesescondían
nosotrosescondíamos
vosotrosescondíais

preterite

él/ella/ustedescondió
yoescondí
túescondiste
ellos/ellas/ustedesescondieron
nosotrosescondimos
vosotrosescondisteis

subjunctive

present

él/ella/ustedesconda
yoesconda
túescondas
ellos/ellas/ustedesescondan
nosotrosescondamos
vosotrosescondáis

imperfect

él/ella/ustedescondiera
yoescondiera
túescondieras
ellos/ellas/ustedesescondieran
nosotrosescondiéramos
vosotrosescondierais
View All Tenses & Moods →

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "esconder" in Spanish:

to conceal→to hide→to stash→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: esconder

Question 1 of 2

Which sentence correctly uses the reflexive form of 'esconder'?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

Comes from the Vulgar Latin verb *excondere*, which was formed by combining the prefix *ex-* (meaning 'out of' or 'away') and *condere* (meaning 'to put' or 'to store'). The original sense was 'to put away completely' or 'to put out of sight.'

First recorded: Around the 13th century in Spanish texts.

Cognates (Related words)

Portuguese: esconderCatalan: escondre

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Frequently Asked Questions

When should I use 'esconder' versus 'ocultar'?

'Esconder' is the general, everyday word for hiding physical objects or people, and is very common. 'Ocultar' is slightly more formal and often used for concealing abstract things like secrets, motives, or evidence.

What preposition usually follows 'esconderse'?

The most common prepositions are 'detrás de' (behind), 'debajo de' (under), or 'en' (in/at). For example: 'Se escondió *detrás de* la cortina.'