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enterrar

en-teh-RRAHRen.teˈrar

“enterrar” means “to bury” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:

to bury, to inter

Also: to cover up
VerbB1Stem-changing (e > ie) in the present tense forms, except 'nosotros' and 'vosotros'. ar
A simple illustration showing a small brown wooden box partially buried in the soil, with a silver shovel standing upright nearby.
past Participleenterrado
infinitiveenterrar
gerundenterrando

📝 In Action

El perro siempre entierra sus huesos en el jardín.

A2

The dog always buries his bones in the garden.

Van a enterrar los cables eléctricos para que no se vean.

B1

They are going to bury the electrical cables so they aren't visible.

Decidieron enterrar a la abuela junto a su esposo.

B1

They decided to inter the grandmother next to her husband.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Antonyms

to forget (a problem), to hide (a secret)

Also: to sink
VerbC1Figurative use, shares the same conjugation as the literal meaning. ar
An illustration of a hand pushing a tightly tangled, knotted red rope into a hole dug in the dirt, symbolizing the burying of a problem.

📝 In Action

Es hora de enterrar el hacha de guerra y hacer las paces.

C1

It is time to bury the hatchet and make peace.

Ella prefiere enterrar sus problemas en lugar de enfrentarlos.

C1

She prefers to hide her problems instead of facing them.

El escándalo enterró la carrera política del candidato.

C2

The scandal sank the candidate's political career.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • olvidar (to forget)
  • zanjar (to settle (a dispute))

Idioms & Expressions

  • enterrar el hacha de guerra – To make peace after a quarrel or conflict.

🔄 Conjugations

indicative

present

vosotrosenterráis
él/ella/ustedentierra
túentierras
yoentierro
nosotrosenterramos
ellos/ellas/ustedesentierran

preterite

vosotrosenterrasteis
él/ella/ustedenterró
túenterraste
yoenterré
nosotrosenterramos
ellos/ellas/ustedesenterraron

imperfect

vosotrosenterrabais
él/ella/ustedenterraba
túenterrabas
yoenterraba
nosotrosenterrábamos
ellos/ellas/ustedesenterraban

subjunctive

present

vosotrosenterréis
él/ella/ustedentierre
túentierres
yoentierre
nosotrosenterremos
ellos/ellas/ustedesentierren

imperfect

vosotrosenterrarais/enterraseis
él/ella/ustedenterrara/enterrase
túenterraras/enterrases
yoenterrara/enterrase
nosotrosenterráramos/enterrásemos
ellos/ellas/ustedesenterraran/enterrasen
View All Tenses & Moods →

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "enterrar" in Spanish:

to bury→to inter→to sink→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: enterrar

Question 1 of 2

Which form of 'enterrar' is correct for 'We bury the time capsule' (Nosotros...)?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
el entierro(the burial / funeral) — Noun
la tierra(the earth / ground) — Noun
desenterrar(to unearth / dig up) — Verb
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

The word comes directly from Late Latin *interrare*, which is a combination of *in-* (meaning 'into') and *terra* (meaning 'earth' or 'ground'). It literally means 'to put into the earth.'

First recorded: 13th century

Cognates (Related words)

Portuguese: enterrarItalian: interrare

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'enterrar' always used for burying a person, or can it be used for objects?

'Entarrar' is commonly used for both people (interring a body) and objects (burying treasure, bones, or cables). It's a very versatile verb.

How do I remember the stem change (e > ie)?

The stem change only happens when the stress falls on the stem (the 'en-ter-' part). Since the stress shifts to the last syllable for 'nosotros' and 'vosotros' (enterRAmos, enterRÁis), those forms remain regular.