Meaning and behavior
What does encerrar mean?
Encerrar means to lock up, to coop up. VerbyGo classifies it as an irregular -AR verb. It is non-reflexive.
to lock away, put away, to imprison, to nail (in a prison or mental hospital); to enclose, to confine, to immure.
Build from reliable parts
Principal forms
- Infinitive
- encerrar
- Gerund
- encerrando
- Past participle
- encerrado
Verified irregular pattern
How this verb behaves
Its forms differ from a fully regular -ar pattern in the present.
Conjugation guide
Present forms
Present forms
Present
Use the present forms of encerrar for current situations, routines and actions that happen regularly.
| Subject | Encerrar |
|---|---|
| yo | encierro |
| tú | encierras |
| él / ella / usted | encierra |
| nosotros / nosotras | encerramos |
| vosotros / vosotras | encerráis |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | encierran |
Conjugation guide
Past forms
Past forms
Preterite
Use the preterite when the action of encerrar is presented as completed in the past.
| Subject | Encerrar |
|---|---|
| yo | encerré |
| tú | encerraste |
| él / ella / usted | encerró |
| nosotros / nosotras | encerramos |
| vosotros / vosotras | encerrasteis |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | encerraron |
Past forms
Imperfect past
Use the imperfect for repeated or ongoing past uses of encerrar, or for background information.
| Subject | Encerrar |
|---|---|
| yo | encerraba |
| tú | encerrabas |
| él / ella / usted | encerraba |
| nosotros / nosotras | encerrábamos |
| vosotros / vosotras | encerrabais |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | encerraban |
Conjugation guide
Future and conditional
Future and conditional
Simple future
Use the future forms of encerrar for predictions, promises and future statements.
| Subject | Encerrar |
|---|---|
| yo | encerraré |
| tú | encerrarás |
| él / ella / usted | encerrará |
| nosotros / nosotras | encerraremos |
| vosotros / vosotras | encerraréis |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | encerrarán |
Verified context
Examples with encerrar
Ella se encerró en su habitación.
She shut herself up in her room.
Tatoeba example · CC BY 2.0 FREl ladrón encerró al niño en el armario.
The burglar shut the child in the closet.
Tatoeba example · CC BY 2.0 FRMe encerré en mi cuarto.
I locked myself in my room.
Tatoeba example · CC BY 2.0 FR
Quick answers
Encerrar FAQ
What does encerrar mean?
Encerrar means to lock up, to coop up.
Is encerrar regular or irregular?
Encerrar is a irregular -AR verb.
What is the gerund of encerrar?
The gerund of encerrar is encerrando.
What is the past participle of encerrar?
The past participle of encerrar is encerrado.
How is encerrar conjugated in the present?
The verified public subject set is encierro, encierras, encierra, encerramos, encierran.
How is encerrar conjugated in the preterite?
The verified public subject set is encerré, encerraste, encerró, encerramos, encerraron.
Created by Alejandro Ruiz, an experienced Spanish tutor.