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encerrada

en-seh-RAH-dah/enθeˈraða/

“encerrada” means “locked up” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:

locked up

Also: trapped, shut-in
A sad cat sitting on a rug inside a cozy room with a closed wooden door.
gerundencerrando
past Participleencerrado
infinitiveencerrar

📝 In Action

La gata se quedó encerrada en el baño.

A1

The cat got locked in the bathroom.

Me siento encerrada en esta oficina sin ventanas.

B1

I feel trapped in this office without windows.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • quedarse encerrada – to get locked in
  • puerta encerrada – locked door (less common than 'cerrada con llave')

trap

Also: ambush
NounfB2informal
Spain
A wooden box propped up by a stick with a piece of cheese underneath it.

📝 In Action

Mis amigos me hicieron una encerrada para que hablara con mi ex.

B2

My friends set a trap for me so I would talk to my ex.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Common Collocations

  • hacer una encerrada – to set someone up / to ambush someone

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "encerrada" in Spanish:

ambush→locked up→shut-in→trap→trapped→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: encerrada

Question 1 of 2

If your keys are inside your car and you can't get them, the keys are...

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
encerrar(to lock up) — Verb
el encierro(confinement / running of the bulls) — Noun
cerrar(to close) — Verb
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

Comes from the prefix 'en-' (in) and the verb 'cerrar' (to close), which traces back to the Latin 'serrare' (to bolt or lock). It literally means 'to be closed inside.'

First recorded: 13th century

Cognates (Related words)

English: enclosed

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use 'encerrada' for a man?

No. If you are describing a man or a masculine object, you must change the ending to -o: 'encerrado.'

Is 'encerrada' the same as 'cerrada'?

Not quite. 'Cerrada' means closed (like a door). 'Encerrada' means something is closed *inside* something else (like a person in a room).