Inklingo

How to Say "confined" in Spanish

The Spanish word for “confined” is “encerrado” — A2 level. This is a very common word in everyday Spanish.

English → SpanishA2
adjectiveA2
limited movement
A small child is sitting huddled inside a large, closed wooden crate, looking out through a small gap in the lid, symbolizing physical confinement.

Examples

El perro estuvo encerrado en la casa todo el día.

The dog was locked in the house all day.

Me sentía encerrado en mi apartamento durante la cuarentena.

I felt shut in (or confined) in my apartment during quarantine.

Using 'Estar' vs. 'Ser'

Since this word describes a temporary state (being locked up), it almost always pairs with the verb 'estar' (to be) rather than 'ser'.

Forgetting Agreement

Mistake: “La puerta está encerrado.”

Correction: La puerta está encerrada. (The ending must change to '-a' to match the feminine word 'puerta'.)

Related Translations

Learn Spanish with Inklingo

Interactive stories, personalized learning, and more.