entra
/EN-trah/
he/she enters
In its most common use, entra means he/she/you (formal) enters or comes in.
entra(Verb)
he/she enters
?going into a place
,you enter
?formal 'usted'
he/she comes in
?entering the place where the speaker is
📝 In Action
El profesor entra en la clase.
A1The teacher enters the classroom.
Mi perro nunca entra sin permiso.
A1My dog never comes in without permission.
Disculpe, ¿usted no entra?
A2Excuse me, are you (formal) not coming in?
💡 Grammar Points
Who is 'entra' for?
'Entra' is the form of 'entrar' you use for 'él' (he), 'ella' (she), and 'usted' (the formal 'you'). For example: 'Él entra' means 'He enters'.
'Entra' can also be a command
When you're telling a friend ('tú') to do something, you also use 'entra'. For example, '¡Entra, por favor!' means 'Come in, please!'. You can tell it's a command because there's usually no person mentioned before it.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Mixing up 'entra' and 'entro'
Mistake: "Using 'entra' when you're talking about yourself. For instance, saying 'Yo entra a la tienda.'"
Correction: The correct form for 'I' is 'entro'. So you should say, 'Yo entro a la tienda' (I enter the store). Remember: if it's about 'yo', it ends in '-o'.
⭐ Usage Tips
Use 'en' or 'a' after 'entrar'
When you say you're entering a place, you can use either 'en' or 'a' right after the verb. Both 'entra en la casa' and 'entra a la casa' are correct and mean 'he/she enters the house'.
When referring to objects, entra can mean that 'it fits' into a specific space.
📝 In Action
El sofá no entra por la puerta.
A2The sofa doesn't fit through the door.
No sé si el coche entra en esa plaza de garaje.
B1I don't know if the car fits in that parking spot.
¡Qué bien! El vestido todavía me entra.
B1Great! The dress still fits me.
⭐ Usage Tips
A Visual Way to Talk About Fitting
Think of this meaning literally. If something 'fits', it's because it can 'enter' the space. This is a very natural and common way to talk about clothes, furniture, and objects.
Entra can also be used to mean 'it begins' when referring to seasons or new phases of life.
entra(Verb)
it begins
?seasons, a new year
,it starts
?a phase, a process
one gets/feels
?used with feelings like hunger or sleepiness
📝 In Action
El verano entra oficialmente la próxima semana.
B1Summer officially begins next week.
Cuando ve las noticias, le entra una gran tristeza.
B2When he watches the news, a great sadness comes over him. (Literally: ...a great sadness enters him.)
Después de comer, siempre me entra sueño.
B1After eating, I always get sleepy. (Literally: ...sleepiness enters me.)
⭐ Usage Tips
Feelings That 'Enter' You
Spanish often talks about feelings like hunger, thirst, or sleepiness as things that 'enter' you. For example, 'me entra hambre' means 'I'm getting hungry'. It's a very common and natural-sounding structure.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: entra
Question 1 of 1
Which sentence uses 'entra' to mean 'it fits'?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 'entra' a command or just a statement?
It can be both! It depends on how you use it. If you say 'Él entra', it's a statement meaning 'He enters'. If you say '¡Entra!' to a friend, it's a command meaning 'Come in!'. The context and the absence of a person's name or pronoun before the verb usually signal that it's a command.
Do I always need to use 'en' or 'a' after 'entra'?
When you're saying what place someone is entering, yes. You would say 'entra en la casa' or 'entra a la casa'. But if you're just saying 'Come in!', you can just say '¡Entra!' by itself.