encantado
/en-kahn-TAH-doh/
Pleased to meet you
Depicting the polite phrase used immediately after an introduction: 'Pleased to meet you'.
encantado(Adjective)
Pleased to meet you
?Used immediately after an introduction
Nice to meet you
?Polite formula
📝 In Action
Mi nombre es Elena. — ¡Encantado!
A1My name is Elena. — Pleased to meet you!
¿Conoces a mi colega, Carlos? — Sí, encantado de conocerte.
A2Do you know my colleague, Carlos? — Yes, delighted to meet you.
💡 Grammar Points
Gender Agreement in Greetings
If you are male, say 'Encantado.' If you are female, say 'Encantada.' It must match your own gender.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Forgetting Gender
Mistake: "A female speaker saying 'Soy encantado' (I am delighted, masculine form)."
Correction: Always check your own gender: female speakers should use 'Encantada.' This rule is the same for all adjectives.
⭐ Usage Tips
Keep it Short
In quick, friendly introductions, you often just say '¡Encantado!' as a complete, standalone response.
Visualizing a state of extreme happiness and satisfaction, meaning 'delighted'.
encantado(Adjective)
delighted
?Feeling extreme happiness or satisfaction
,enchanted
?Under a spell or magical influence
charmed
?Figurative or literal sense of charm
📝 In Action
Estaba encantado con el regalo que le hicieron.
B1He was delighted with the gift they gave him.
Dicen que hay un pozo encantado en el bosque.
B1They say there is an enchanted well in the forest.
Volvimos de las vacaciones absolutamente encantados.
B2We returned from vacation absolutely charmed (or delighted).
💡 Grammar Points
Used with 'Estar' or 'Ser'
Use 'estar' (e.g., 'estoy encantado') to talk about a current feeling or temporary state of happiness. Use 'ser' (e.g., 'es un lugar encantado') to describe a permanent quality, like being magical.
Illustrating the magical sense of being charmed or placed under a spell, meaning 'enchanted'.
encantado(Verb)
enchanted
?Forming a compound verb tense
delighted
?Used with 'haber' (e.g., 'ha encantado')
📝 In Action
La novela me ha encantado, la he leído dos veces.
B2The novel has delighted me; I have read it twice.
Creían que la bruja había encantado el manzano.
C1They believed the witch had enchanted the apple tree.
💡 Grammar Points
Forming Perfect Tenses
To show an action completed in the past, 'encantado' is combined with a form of the verb 'haber' (to have), such as 'he encantado' (I have enchanted) or 'había encantado' (I had enchanted).
❌ Common Pitfalls
Participle Gender
Mistake: "Using 'encantado' instead of 'encantada' when forming perfect tenses (e.g., *La bruja ha encantada*)."
Correction: When forming perfect tenses with 'haber', the past participle ('encantado') is invariable—it *always* ends in -o and never changes for gender or number.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: encantado
Question 1 of 2
If you are female and meeting someone named Marco, what is the most appropriate response?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do Spanish speakers sometimes say 'mucho gusto' instead of 'encantado'?
'Mucho gusto' (literally 'much pleasure') is a perfect synonym for 'encantado' when used as a greeting. Both are polite and widely understood, though 'encantado' is often perceived as slightly warmer or more active.
Does 'encantado' only refer to the past?
No, it's a past participle, but when used as a common greeting (meaning 'Pleased to meet you'), it refers to the present feeling of satisfaction you have upon meeting someone. When used in complex tenses (like 'ha encantado'), it helps describe a finished action.