encantaba
/en-can-TAH-bah/
I used to love
This image illustrates deep past affection, representing the meaning 'I used to love'.
encantaba(verb)
I used to love
?1st person singular (Yo)
,he/she/it used to love
?3rd person singular (Él/Ella/Usted)
I adored
?A continuous or repeated feeling in the past
,was delighted by
?Formal equivalent
📝 In Action
De niño, me encantaba jugar con bloques todo el día.
A2As a child, I used to love playing with blocks all day.
A mi abuela le encantaba ver películas antiguas los domingos.
B1My grandmother loved watching old movies on Sundays.
¿Conoces ese restaurante? ¡Nos encantaba ir allí!
B1Do you know that restaurant? We used to love going there!
💡 Grammar Points
The 'Gustar' Structure
Like 'gustar' (to like), the person doing the liking is not the subject. The thing being liked is the subject, so 'encantaba' means the thing loved was singular, even if 'I' or 'she' was the one feeling the love.
Imperfect Tense Function
'Encantaba' is used to talk about feelings, states, or repeated actions in the past. It describes how things were over a period of time, not a single completed event.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Using the wrong person
Mistake: "Yo encantaba el chocolate. (I used to enchant the chocolate.)"
Correction: Me encantaba el chocolate. (Chocolate used to delight me.) Remember to use the 'me,' 'te,' 'le' pronouns before the verb.
⭐ Usage Tips
Expressing Strong Affection
Use 'encantaba' when 'gustaba' (used to like) feels too weak. It means you truly adored the person, place, or thing.
Here, the word means something 'was enchanting,' like the act of casting a magical spell.
encantaba(verb)
was enchanting
?Casting a spell
,used to bewitch
?Traditional/magical context
📝 In Action
Según la leyenda, la bruja encantaba a los viajeros perdidos.
B2According to the legend, the witch was enchanting the lost travelers.
El poeta encantaba a la audiencia con su voz profunda.
C1The poet used to enchant the audience with his deep voice (figurative use).
💡 Grammar Points
Direct Use
In this literal sense, 'encantaba' works like a standard English verb: the subject (the witch/poet) performs the action directly on the object (travelers/audience).
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: encantaba
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence correctly uses 'encantaba' to mean 'I used to love'?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is 'encantaba' used to mean 'I loved' instead of 'Yo amaba'?
'Yo amaba' means 'I loved' in a deep, personal sense (often for people), but 'encantaba' is used for strong enjoyment of things, places, or activities, following the special structure where the thing you love is the active part of the sentence.
How do I say 'We loved it' using 'encantaba'?
You would say 'Nos encantaba.' The 'nos' tells you who felt the love (we), and 'encantaba' is singular because 'it' (the thing loved) is singular.