desaparecer
/desapaɾeˈθeɾ/
To disappear in Spanish is desaparecer. It is also spelled desparecer.
Meaning: to vanish (verb)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| desaparecer | /desapaɾeˈθeɾ/ /desapaɾeˈseɾ/ |
|
| desparecer | /despaɾeˈθeɾ/ /despaɾeˈseɾ/ |
alternative form |
The primary verb used to express the action of vanishing is desaparecer. If you wish to describe someone who is missing, you can use the past participle desaparecido as an adjective. Other ways to express similar ideas include desvanecerse, which means to fade away or to vanish and the informal term esfumarse, which translates to to vanish or to evaporate.
How does it change in a sentence?
The past participle desaparecido is frequently used as an adjective to describe a person who is missing.
How do you pronounce it?
/desapaɾeˈθeɾ/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers may accidentally omit the second 'a' and write desparecer. However, the correct spelling is desaparecer.
Did you know?
- The word desaparecido carries a heavy political weight in Latin America, specifically referring to the victims of forced disappearances by governments during the 20th century.
- The word desvanecerse is used not only for vanishing but also to describe the physical act of fainting or passing out.
- The informal verb esfumarse literally means 'to turn into smoke', making it the equivalent of saying someone 'vanished into thin air'.
Examples in context
- La nieve desaparecerá pronto.The snow will soon disappear.This sentence shows how to use desaparecer regarding snow.Tatoeba #1694102 by teskmon, translation #272595 by CK
- Tom vio a María desaparecer en la oscuridad.Tom watched Mary disappear into the darkness.This sentence uses desaparecer to describe someone vanishing into darkness.Tatoeba #3384647 by marcelostockle, translation #2742880 by CM
- Incluso estas palabras algún día desaparecerán.Even these words will someday disappear.This sentence demonstrates the future use of desaparecer.Tatoeba #1607709 by marcelostockle, translation #55229 by marcelostockle
- ¡Tus llaves han desaparecido!Your keys have disappeared!
- Mi dinero se esfumóMy money vanished.
- La esperanza se desvanecióHope disappeared.
- 18 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Alejandro and Sofía are looking for a cat in the garden.
- Alejandro¡Mira! El gato acaba de desaparecer.Look! The cat just disappeared.
- Sofía¿Dónde fue? No lo veo.Where did it go? I don't see it.
- AlejandroParece desaparecer cada vez que me acerco.He seems to disappear every time I get closer.
- SofíaSeguro está escondido tras los arbustos.He is surely hidden behind the bushes.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “disappear” translations and entries desaparecer, desparecer, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
