ubicó

Ubicó is the third-person singular form of the Spanish verb ubicar in the preterite indicative, meaning that someone or something placed or located something at a specific place in the past. It is used for a completed action in narrative or reporting contexts.

Conjugation and usage notes: The verb ubicar belongs to the -car group, which affects the first-person singular form in the preterite (yo ubiqué). Other preterite forms include tú ubicaste, él/ella/usted ubicó, nosotros ubicamos, vosotros ubicasteis, ellos/ellas/ustedes ubicaron. The form ubicó specifically marks the past action performed by él, ella, or usted. In present tense, the verb is conjugated as ubico, ubicas, ubica, ubicamos, ubicáis, ubican.

Etymology: Ubicar derives from the Latin verb ubicare, formed from ubi, meaning “where,” coupled with a suffix to indicate placing or positioning. The development of ubicar into Spanish reflects the historical influence of Romance languages on verb formation related to location and arrangement.

Usage considerations: Ubicó is commonly used in news, reports, and descriptive prose to convey that a placement or location decision occurred and was completed. It can describe locating people, objects, offices, or facilities. Synonyms include colocar, situar, and localizar, though each term carries slightly different nuances regarding purpose or process.

See also: ubicar, ubicación, ubicación geográfica, localizar, situar.