encanta
/en-KAN-ta/
to love (something)
The most common use of encanta is to express strong liking or love for things, activities, or ideas, like how much this child loves their apple.
encanta(Verb)
to love (something)
?Expressing strong liking, works like the verb 'gustar'
to be delighted by
?Focuses on the feeling produced
,to be enchanting
?Describes the quality of the thing being liked
📝 In Action
Me encanta el café por la mañana.
A1I love coffee in the morning.
A mi hermana le encanta leer novelas de misterio.
A2My sister loves to read mystery novels.
¿No te encanta cómo huele la lluvia?
B1Don't you love how the rain smells?
Nos encantan las películas que diriges.
B1We love the movies you direct.
💡 Grammar Points
It Works Backwards!
Think of 'encanta' as meaning 'it is enchanting to'. The thing you love is doing the action. That's why we say 'Me encanta el libro' (The book is enchanting to me), not 'Yo encanto el libro'.
Use 'encantan' for Plural Things
If you love more than one thing, the verb changes to match. 'Me encanta la pizza' (I love pizza), but 'Me encantan los tacos' (I love tacos).
❌ Common Pitfalls
Using 'Yo' instead of 'Me'
Mistake: "Yo encanto la música."
Correction: A mí me encanta la música. Remember, the music is doing the 'enchanting' to you, so you use 'me' to show you're the one receiving that feeling.
⭐ Usage Tips
For Emphasis
To add extra emphasis, you can add 'A mí...' at the beginning. For example, 'A mí me encanta el verano, pero a él no le gusta.' (I love summer, but he doesn't like it.)
In a formal or fantasy context, encanta means 'to enchant' or 'to bewitch,' referring to casting a literal magic spell.
encanta(Verb)
to enchant
?To cast a magic spell on someone or something
to bewitch
?Similar to casting a spell
,to charm / to captivate
?Figurative, to hold someone's attention completely
📝 In Action
La hechicera encanta al caballero para que olvide su misión.
B2The sorceress enchants the knight so that he forgets his mission.
El orador encanta al público con sus palabras.
C1The speaker captivates the audience with his words.
💡 Grammar Points
A 'Normal' Verb Structure
In this meaning, the verb works just like in English. The person or thing doing the enchanting is the subject. For example, 'La bruja (she) encanta al príncipe (him).'
⭐ Usage Tips
Mostly Figurative
Outside of fairy tales, you'll hear this used figuratively. For instance, 'Esa canción me encanta' could mean 'That song captivates me,' which is a beautiful, slightly more poetic way of saying you love it.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
preterite
imperfect
subjunctive
present
imperfect
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: encanta
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence correctly says 'We love the beaches' in Spanish?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between 'me encanta' and 'yo amo'?
'Me encanta' is for things, ideas, and activities you love (Me encanta el chocolate). 'Amo' is for deep, emotional love, usually for people or pets (Amo a mi familia). Using 'amo' for an object sounds overly dramatic.
Why does the verb change from 'encanta' to 'encantan'?
The verb agrees with the *thing being loved*, not the person loving it. If the thing is singular ('la casa'), you use 'encanta'. If the thing is plural ('los perros'), you use 'encantan'.