encender Preterite Conjugation
encender — turn on
Encender is regular in the preterite: encendí, encendiste, encendió, encendimos, encendisteis, encendieron.
encender Preterite Forms
When to Use the Preterite
Use the preterite for a one-time action of turning something on. It’s perfect for describing the moment you flipped a switch or started a fire.
Notes on encender in the Preterite
Unlike the present tense, encender is completely regular in the preterite. There is no stem change (e>ie) here.
Example Sentences
Encendí la luz porque estaba muy oscuro.
I turned on the light because it was very dark.
yo
Él encendió la televisión para ver las noticias.
He turned on the television to watch the news.
él/ella/usted
Encendimos una fogata en la playa.
We lit a campfire on the beach.
nosotros
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using 'enciendió' instead of 'encendió'.
Correct: encendió
Why: Learners often try to carry the 'ie' stem change from the present tense into the preterite, but this verb only changes in the present.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: enciendo
Encender has an e>ie stem change in all forms except nosotros and vosotros: enciendo, enciendes, enciende...
Imperfect
yo: encendía
Encender is regular in the imperfect: encendía, encendías, encendía, encendíamos, encendíais, encendían.
Future
yo: encenderé
The future of encender is regular: encenderé, encenderás, encenderá, encenderemos, encenderéis, encenderán.
Conditional
yo: encendería
The conditional of encender is regular: encendería, encenderías, encendería, encenderíamos, encenderíais, encenderían.
Present Subjunctive
yo: encienda
The present subjunctive follows the e>ie stem change: encienda, enciendas, encienda, encendamos, encendáis, enciendan.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: encendiera
The imperfect subjunctive of encender is: encendiera, encendieras, encendiera, encendiéramos, encendierais, encendieran.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: enciende
Use enciende (tú), encienda (usted), or encended (vosotros) to tell someone to turn something on.
Negative Imperative
yo: no enciendas
The negative imperative uses the present subjunctive: no enciendas, no encienda, no encendamos...