enfriar Present Conjugation
enfriar — to cool
The present tense of 'enfriar' ('enfrío', 'enfrías', 'enfría') describes actions happening now or habitual cooling.
enfriar Present Forms
When to Use the Present
Use the present tense of 'enfriar' for actions happening right now, habitual actions, or general truths related to cooling. For example, 'El sol enfría la calle' (The sun cools the street - maybe a bit counterintuitive, but possible in specific contexts like evaporative cooling) or 'Me enfrío fácilmente' (I get cold easily - reflexive use).
Notes on enfriar in the Present
The verb 'enfriar' is regular in the present indicative. All forms follow the standard -ar conjugation pattern.
Example Sentences
El aire acondicionado enfría la habitación.
The air conditioning cools the room.
él/ella/usted
Me enfrío si no me pongo un suéter.
I get cold if I don't put on a sweater.
yo
Enfriamos la comida antes de guardarla.
We cool the food down before storing it.
nosotros
¿Ustedes enfrían la cerveza en el sótano?
Do you all cool the beer down in the basement?
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the present tense for a completed past action.
Correct: For completed past actions, use the preterite: 'Enfrié la sopa' (I cooled the soup), not 'Enfrío la sopa'.
Why: The present tense describes current or habitual actions, not finished ones.
Mistake: Forgetting the accent on 'enfrías' (tú form) and 'enfría' (él/ella/usted form).
Correct: The correct forms are 'enfrías' and 'enfría', both with accents on the 'i'.
Why: The accent indicates the stressed syllable, which is crucial for correct pronunciation and spelling.
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Related Tenses
Preterite
yo: enfrié
The preterite of 'enfriar' is regular: 'enfrié', 'enfriaste', 'enfrió', 'enfriamos', 'enfriasteis', 'enfriaron'.
Imperfect
yo: enfriaba
The imperfect of 'enfriar' ('enfriaba', 'enfriabas', 'enfriaba') describes ongoing or habitual cooling in the past.
Future
yo: enfriaré
The future tense of 'enfriar' ('enfriaré', 'enfriarás', 'enfriará') indicates actions that will happen.
Conditional
yo: enfriaría
The conditional of 'enfriar' ('enfriaría', 'enfriarías', 'enfriaría') is used for hypotheticals ('would cool') and polite requests.
Present Subjunctive
yo: enfríe
The present subjunctive of 'enfriar' (like 'enfríe' or 'enfríen') is used after expressions of doubt, desire, or emotion.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: enfriara
Use the imperfect subjunctive of 'enfriar' (like 'enfriara' or 'enfriase') for past hypotheticals or wishes.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: enfría
Use 'enfriar' imperative for direct commands like 'enfría' (you, informal) or 'enfríe' (you, formal).
Negative Imperative
yo: no enfríes
Negative commands with 'enfriar' use 'no' plus the present subjunctive, like 'no enfríes' (you, informal).