ocultó

Ocultó is the third-person singular preterite indicative form of the Spanish verb ocultar. It corresponds to “he hid,” “she hid,” or “you hid” (usted) in the past, indicating a completed act of concealing or keeping something out of sight.

Etymology: The verb ocultar comes from Latin occultare, from occultus meaning hidden. The same root gives related forms such as oculto (hidden, as an adjective or noun in some senses) and ocultamiento (concealment).

Usage: Ocultó is used in narrative and descriptive writing to describe acts of concealment, whether literal (hiding an object) or figurative (concealing information or intentions). For example, “El ladrón ocultó las joyas en un cajón” means the thief hid the jewels in a drawer, and “Ella ocultó la verdad para protegerlo” means she concealed the truth to protect him.

Forms and related terms: The present tense form is oculta; the past participle is ocultado. Related words include ocultar (to hide), ocultamiento (concealment), and oculto (hidden). The accent in ocultó distinguishes the past tense form from the adjective oculto in written Spanish.