How to Say "they disappeared" in Spanish
The Spanish word for “they disappeared” is “desaparecieron” — B1 level. This is a very common word in everyday Spanish.
Examples
Las nubes desaparecieron después de la tormenta.
The clouds disappeared after the storm.
Los documentos importantes desaparecieron de la caja fuerte.
The important documents vanished from the safe.
Mis vecinos se mudaron y desaparecieron sin dejar una dirección.
My neighbors moved and disappeared without leaving an address.
Preterite Tense Function
'Desaparecieron' tells you that the act of disappearing was a completed action at a specific point in the past. It’s used when telling a story or reporting a single event.
Confusing Preterite and Imperfect
Mistake: “Using 'desaparecían' (imperfect) when you mean 'desaparecieron'.”
Correction: 'Desaparecieron' is for a single, finished event (The keys vanished). 'Desaparecían' describes a repeated or ongoing state in the past (They used to vanish often).
Related Translations
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