aparente
adjectiveCEFR B2
What does “aparente” mean in English?
apparent, seeming
apparent, seeming (una contradicción aparente — seeming but not real on closer examination; not 'obvious')
Example sentences
Lo que parece una paradoja aparente se resuelve cuando se analiza el contexto histórico en el que surgió la norma.
What appears to be a paradox is resolved when one analyses the historical context in which the rule arose.
La mejora en los indicadores es aparente: esconde una redistribución de los problemas, no su resolución.
The improvement in the indicators is apparent: it conceals a redistribution of problems, not their resolution.
Aparentemente, las dos posiciones son irreconciliables; sin embargo, comparten más puntos en común de lo que parece.
Apparently, the two positions are irreconcilable; however, they share more common ground than it seems.
How to use it
Aparente means 'apparent', 'seeming', or 'ostensible' — something that appears to be the case but may not be on closer examination. At B2 it functions as a critical qualifier: 'una contradicción aparente' = a contradiction that seems real but isn't. It modifies nouns to signal that the surface appearance needs to be looked beyond: 'una solución aparente', 'una mejora aparente'. The adverb aparentemente ('apparently', 'seemingly') is equally important for hedging. Cognate warning: English 'apparent' can mean 'obvious' (un disfraz aparente ≠ an obvious disguise — the Spanish word always retains the 'seeming' sense).
Common mistake
Aparente in Spanish always carries the 'seeming but not real' nuance — never the English 'obvious' sense ('it became apparent that…' = 'quedó claro que…', not 'aparente'). English 'apparent' is ambiguous between 'obvious' and 'seeming'; Spanish aparente only means the latter. Use claro, evidente, or manifiesto for the 'obvious' sense. Also: aparentemente is a useful epistemic hedger in academic writing, similar to 'seemingly' or 'apparently' in English.