señaló

Señaló is the third-person singular form of the Spanish verb señalar in the preterite tense. It means he pointed out, indicated, or signaled something in the past. The action can be physical, such as pointing with a finger, or figurative, such as indicating information, a direction, or a conclusion. In narrative and reporting, señalar in the preterite is used to present a completed action that influenced subsequent events.

Etymology and form: Señalar derives from the noun señal, sign, which comes from Latin signum; the verb form combines this root with the regular -ar verb suffix. The accent on the final syllable marks the preterite stress: señaló is pronounced with emphasis on la.

Grammatical notes: Señaló is used with a third-person subject (él, ella, usted) and may accompany a direct object that denotes what was signaled (for example, la ruta, el cartel, el error). It can also appear with a prepositional phrase indicating how the signaling occurred, such as "señaló con el dedo" or "señaló hacia la salida." The corresponding imperfect form is señalaba, which describes a past action without focusing on its completion or its exact time, while the future is señalará.

Usage examples:

- El guía señaló el camino.

- Ella señaló tres errores en el informe.

- El policía señaló la dirección desde la acera.

Señaló, as a common narrative verb, appears across journalism, literature, and everyday speech to convey aPast emphasis on identifying or directing attention to something.