enteró
en-te-RÓ
/en.teˈɾo/
The word 'enteró' means someone 'found out' something, like discovering a secret or a piece of information.
enteró(Verb (Past Tense Form))
found out
?He/She/You (formal) found out
,learned (about)
?He/She/You (formal) learned some news
became aware
?realized or noticed
📝 In Action
Mi hermano se enteró de la noticia por internet.
A2My brother found out the news online.
¿Cómo se enteró usted de que habíamos llegado?
B1How did you (formal) find out that we had arrived?
La empresa se enteró del problema justo a tiempo.
B1The company learned about the problem just in time.
💡 Grammar Points
Reflexive Requirement (Se)
When 'enteró' means 'found out,' it MUST be used with the pronoun 'se' (se enteró). Without 'se,' it means 'informed someone else'.
Preposition 'De'
When saying what was found out, Spanish often requires the little word 'de' (of/about): 'Se enteró de los resultados' (He found out about the results).
❌ Common Pitfalls
Forgetting 'Se'
Mistake: “Mi madre enteró la noticia.”
Correction: Mi madre SE enteró de la noticia. (Mistake means: My mother informed the news, which doesn't make sense.)
⭐ Usage Tips
Sudden Action
'Enteró' (simple past) is used for a single, completed action in the past: the moment the information was received.
When 'enteró' means 'informed,' it describes the action of sharing information with someone else.
enteró(Verb (Past Tense Form))
informed
?He/She/You (formal) informed someone else
,notified
?He/She/You (formal) gave notice
📝 In Action
El director enteró a los padres sobre el cambio de horario.
B2The director informed the parents about the schedule change.
La carta enteró al destinatario de su deuda.
C1The letter notified the recipient of their debt.
💡 Grammar Points
Direct Action
When used without 'se', 'enteró' means the subject (the person doing the action) completed the act of giving information to someone else.
⭐ Usage Tips
Formal Context
This non-reflexive use is often reserved for official or bureaucratic language; in daily speech, 'informó' is much more common.
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: enteró
Question 1 of 1
Which sentence correctly uses 'enteró' to mean 'The teacher found out about the secret'?
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between 'enteró' and 'se enteró'?
'Enteró' (without 'se') means he/she/you *informed* someone else. 'Se enteró' (with 'se') means he/she/you *received* the information, or *found out*.
Why does 'enteró' use the preposition 'de'?
When you use 'se enteró' (to find out), Spanish requires the little word 'de' (about/of) to introduce the thing that was learned. Think of it as 'becoming informed of [the topic]'.