The preterite of aparecer is used to express when something appeared or showed up at a specific moment in the past. For example, “The missing cat appeared this morning” – “El gato perdido apareció esta mañana.”
This verb follows the regular -er conjugation pattern in the preterite tense. Despite being related to ‘parecer’, it maintains regular conjugation in the preterite.
Conjugations
Conjugations of Aparecer (to appear) in the Preterite (Past) Tense tense (Castilian Spanish):
| Pronoun | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| Yo | aparecí |
| Tú | apareciste |
| Él / Ella / Usted | apareció |
| Nosotros / Nosotras | aparecimos |
| Vosotros / Vosotras | aparecisteis |
| Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes | aparecieron |
Boost Your Memorization with Audio!
We’ve included audio recordings of the the conjugations of Aparecer (to appear) in the Preterite (Past) Tense to help you learn faster.
Pro Tip: Play the audio on a loop as you study the chart. This repetition will solidify the correct conjugations in your memory.
Usage of Aparecer in the Preterite (Past) Tense
The Preterite of aparecer indicates sudden or specific appearances.
To appear (single instance): Describes something coming into view or existence, for example El sol apareció entre las nubes (The sun appeared through the clouds), or Aparecieron nuevas evidencias (New evidence appeared).
To show up: Used for arriving or presenting oneself, for example Apareció sin avisar (They showed up without warning).
Examples
Examples of Aparecer in the Preterite (Past) Tense
El sol apareció entre las nubes. (The sun appeared between the clouds.)
De repente apareció un taxi libre. (Suddenly a free taxi appeared.)
Las llaves aparecieron debajo del sofá. (The keys appeared under the sofa.)
¿Cuándo apareció el primer síntoma? (When did the first symptom appear?)
Un arcoíris apareció después de la lluvia. (A rainbow appeared after the rain.)
Aparecí sin avisar en su oficina. (I appeared in his office without warning.)
Los resultados aparecieron en la página web. (The results appeared on the website.)
La noticia apareció en todos los periódicos. (The news appeared in all the newspapers.)
De la nada apareció un gato negro. (Out of nowhere, a black cat appeared.)
Su nombre apareció en la lista de ganadores. (His name appeared on the winners list.)
Las estrellas aparecieron en el cielo nocturno. (The stars appeared in the night sky.)
Una sonrisa apareció en su rostro. (A smile appeared on her face.)
Los primeros brotes aparecieron en primavera. (The first sprouts appeared in spring.)
El artículo apareció en la revista mensual. (The article appeared in the monthly magazine.)
Misteriosamente aparecieron huellas en la nieve. (Mysteriously, footprints appeared in the snow.)
Conjugations with English Translations
Conjugations of Aparecer (to appear) in the Preterite (Past) Tense tense (Castilian Spanish) with English Translations:
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Yo aparecí | I appeared |
| Tú apareciste | You appeared |
| Él / Ella / Usted apareció | He / She / You (formal) appeared |
| Nosotros / Nosotras aparecimos | We appeared |
| Vosotros / Vosotras aparecisteis | You all appeared |
| Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes aparecieron | They / You all (formal) appeared |
This post covers Castilian Spanish. For Latin American Spanish, click here
Synonyms
The Preterite tense is also known as the Simple Past, Past Simple, Definite Past, Absolute Past, or Past Tense Indicative in English, and as Pretérito Perfecto Simple, Pretérito Indefinido, Pretérito Simple, Pasado Simple, or Pretérito de Indicativo in Spanish.