encerrar Preterite Conjugation
encerrar — to lock up
Encerrar is completely regular in the preterite; it does NOT have a stem change here.
encerrar Preterite Forms
When to Use the Preterite
Use the preterite to talk about a specific instance when someone was locked up or a door was locked at a definite point in time.
Notes on encerrar in the Preterite
Unlike the present tense, the preterite does not change the stem. It follows the standard -ar endings (é, aste, ó, amos, asteis, aron).
Example Sentences
Encerré las llaves dentro del coche.
I locked the keys inside the car.
yo
Los guardias encerraron al prisionero.
The guards locked up the prisoner.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Ayer encerramos al gato en la cocina.
Yesterday we locked the cat in the kitchen.
nosotros
Common Mistakes
Mistake: yo encierré
Correct: yo encerré
Why: Learners often try to carry the stem change from the present tense into the preterite, but -ar stem-changers are regular in the preterite.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: encierro
Encerrar is a stem-changing verb (e to ie) in the present tense, except for nosotros and vosotros.
Imperfect
yo: encerraba
Encerrar is regular in the imperfect: encerraba, encerrabas, encerraba, encerrábamos, encerrabais, encerraban.
Future
yo: encerraré
The future of encerrar is regular: just add the endings (é, ás, á, emos, éis, án) to the infinitive.
Conditional
yo: encerraría
The conditional of encerrar is regular: encerraría, encerrarías, encerraría, encerraríamos, encerraríais, encerrarían.
Present Subjunctive
yo: encierre
The present subjunctive follows the e-to-ie stem change of the present indicative for all forms except nosotros and vosotros.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: encerrara
The imperfect subjunctive is regular based on the third-person plural preterite: encerrara, encerraras, encerrara...
Affirmative Imperative
yo: encierra
Use 'encierra' for tú and 'encierre' for usted to give direct orders to lock something up.
Negative Imperative
yo: no encierres
Negative commands use 'no' plus the present subjunctive forms: no encierres, no encierre.