apparu

Apparu is the past participle of the French verb apparaître, which means to appear or to become visible. It is used in compound tenses, most often with the auxiliary être, and it agrees in gender and number with the subject: il est apparu, elle est apparue, ils sont apparus, elles sont apparues. apparaître is an intransitive verb, so the standard auxiliary is être rather than avoir.

In everyday use, apparaître, and thus apparu, covers both physical visibility and the sense of becoming noticeable or commencing to exist. For example: Le soleil est apparu à travers les nuages. Un doute est apparu après l’explication. Des signes d’amélioration sont apparus au fil des semaines. The form can also convey a momentary impression, as in a change that suddenly becomes evident.

The verb paraître, a related but distinct verb meaning to seem or to be published, has the past participle paru. It is used in contexts such as parecerer or to appear in print, and its participle does not have the same sense of literal appearance as apparaître. Distinctions between apparaître/apparu and paraître/paru help speakers choose the appropriate nuance in each situation.

Etymology traces apparu to the verb apparaître, derived from Latin appārēre, through Old French apparaître. The word continues to be common in French, both in literal and figurative expressions. See also paraître, apparaître in literary usage, and past participles in French verb conjugation.