emerger
emerge
Salir a la superficie o hacerse visible después de estar oculto.
Definition & meaning
Emerger is a Spanish verb meaning “to emerge,” “to surface,” “to come out,” or “to arise.” It describes something becoming visible, appearing from a hidden or submerged position, or becoming apparent.
It can be used in several senses:
-
To come out of or rise from a physical place
- El submarino emergió del agua. — The submarine surfaced from the water.
- El sol emergió entre las nubes. — The sun emerged from among the clouds.
-
To appear or become noticeable
- Emergieron nuevos problemas. — New problems arose.
- Una figura emergió de la oscuridad. — A figure emerged from the darkness.
-
To develop or become prominent
- Emergió como una figura importante en la política. — He or she emerged as an important figure in politics.
Grammar & Word origin
Emerger is an intransitive, regular -er verb, so it normally does not take a direct object. Its present-tense first-person singular form is irregular:
- yo emerjo — I emerge
- tú emerges — you emerge
- él/ella emerge — he/she emerges
- nosotros emergemos — we emerge
- ellos emergen — they emerge
The verb comes from the Latin emergere, meaning “to rise out” or “to come forth.” It is formed from e-/ex-, meaning “out of,” and mergere, meaning “to plunge” or “submerge.”
Synonyms & antonyms
Synonyms
- salir — “to come out”; more general and often less formal than emerger.
- aparecer — “to appear”; emphasizes becoming visible, not necessarily rising from below or emerging from concealment.
- surgir — “to arise” or “to spring up”; often used for ideas, problems, events, or movements.
- aflorar — “to surface” or “to come to light”; frequently used figuratively for feelings, facts, or hidden information.
- manifestarse — “to manifest itself” or “to become evident”; focuses on something becoming perceptible or clear.
Antonyms
- sumergirse — “to submerge oneself” or “to sink below the surface”; the clearest physical opposite.
- hundirse — “to sink” or “to go under”; suggests downward movement or collapse.
- desaparecer — “to disappear”; the opposite of becoming visible or noticeable.
- ocultarse — “to hide” or “to conceal oneself”; emphasizes moving out of sight rather than physically sinking.
Common phrases & collocations
- emerger del agua — to emerge from the water
- emerger de la oscuridad — to emerge from the darkness
- emerger de las sombras — to emerge from the shadows
- emerger como una figura importante — to emerge as an important figure
- nuevos problemas emergen — new problems arise
- una tendencia emergente — an emerging trend
Make “emerger” part of your vocabulary.
Build your Spanish vocabulary with flashcards, audio and spaced repetition.
Examples
La economía comienza a emerger después de una recesión.verb
The economy is beginning to emerge after a recession.
En tiempos difíciles, nuevas oportunidades pueden emerger cada día.verb
In difficult times, new opportunities can emerge every day.
Keep exploring Spanish
Learn words from the content you love.
Add words from websites, books and videos, then remember them with spaced repetition (SRS).
Scan for iPhone & iPad