Spanish verb guide

Encerrar Conjugation in Spanish

Learn encerrar, meaning to lock up, to coop up, through verified forms and contextual examples.

irregular-argerund: encerrandoparticiple: encerrado

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What does encerrar mean?

encerrar means to lock up, to coop up in English. It is a irregular -ar verb.

It can also be used with these related meanings: to lock away, put away, to imprison, to nail (in a prison or mental hospital); to enclose, to confine, to immure.

Principal forms of encerrar

Infinitive: encerrar
Gerund: encerrando
Past participle: encerrado

Encerrar conjugation table

Compare the present, preterite, imperfect, and future forms. Reflexive pronouns are included where the verb requires them.

Pronoun	Present	Preterite	Imperfect	Future
yo	encierro	encerré	encerraba	encerraré
tú	encierras	encerraste	encerrabas	encerrarás
él / ella / usted	encierra	encerró	encerraba	encerrará
nosotros/as	encerramos	encerramos	encerrábamos	encerraremos
ellos/as / ustedes	encierran	encerraron	encerraban	encerrarán

Pattern notes

Its forms differ from a fully regular -ar pattern in the present.

Examples with encerrar

Ella se encerró en su habitación.She shut herself up in her room.Tatoeba example · CC BY 2.0 FR

El ladrón encerró al niño en el armario.The burglar shut the child in the closet.Tatoeba example · CC BY 2.0 FR

Me encerré en mi cuarto.I locked myself in my room.Tatoeba example · CC BY 2.0 FR

Practice prompts

Conjugate encerrar for yo in the present.
Use the preterite form for ella.
Say the nosotros/as imperfect form.
Write a short sentence in the future.

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