/destaˈkaɾ/
Translation
to emphasise, to highlight, to stand out
Word origin
From des- (a reversing or intensifying prefix) and destacar's own military root: to detach a body of troops for separate notice, from which the modern sense of 'to stand apart, to be noticed' developed.
- Origin
- Spanish
- Root
- des- + tocar
Grammar
Conjugation
Regular -ar conjugation. Pronouns: yo, tú, él/ella/ud., nos., vos., ellos/uds..
Indicative
| Person | Present | Preterite | Imperfect | Future | Conditional |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| yo | destaco | destacé | destacaba | destacaré | destacaría |
| tú | destacas | destacaste | destacabas | destacarás | destacarías |
| él/ella/ud. | destaca | destacó | destacaba | destacará | destacaría |
| nos. | destacamos | destacamos | destacábamos | destacaremos | destacaríamos |
| vos. | destacáis | destacasteis | destacabais | destacaréis | destacaríais |
| ellos/uds. | destacan | destacaron | destacaban | destacarán | destacarían |
Subjunctive
| Person | Present | Imperfect (-ra) | Imperfect (-se) |
|---|---|---|---|
| yo | destace | destacara | destacase |
| tú | destaces | destacaras | destacases |
| él/ella/ud. | destace | destacara | destacase |
| nos. | destacemos | destacáramos | destacásemos |
| vos. | destacéis | destacarais | destacaseis |
| ellos/uds. | destacen | destacaran | destacasen |
Imperative
| Person | Affirmative |
|---|---|
| tú | destaca |
| ud. | destace |
| nosotros | destacemos |
| vosotros | destacad |
| uds. | destacen |
Non-finite
- Gerund / present participle
- destacando
- Past participle
- destacado
Examples
.
The report highlights the project's main risks.
.
Her daughter has stood out in mathematics since she was very young.
.
I want to emphasise the effort of the whole team.
Destacar works two ways without needing the reflexive -se that many similar verbs require. Used transitively it means "to emphasise" or "to highlight" something: El artículo destaca los beneficios del ejercicio (The article highlights the benefits of exercise). Used intransitively, with no direct object, it means "to stand out" on its own: Destaca por su creatividad (She stands out for her creativity). Both are correct; only the sentence's structure tells you which one you are looking at, and neither needs destacarse, though that reflexive form also exists and means the same as the intransitive use.
Where this fits
Used in
Grammar articles
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destacar: worksheet, infographic and listicle
Free printable study downloads for the Spanish word "destacar" (to emphasise, to highlight, to stand out): a worksheet with the answer key built in, an infographic, and a sentence listicle. Open any one to view, print or save.
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