Inklingo

How to Say "they entered" in Spanish

The Spanish word forthey enteredis entraronA1 level. This is a very common word in everyday Spanish.

English → SpanishA1
VerbA1
Movement into a place
A storybook illustration showing two stylized figures stepping simultaneously through a large, open wooden doorway, moving from a bright exterior into a shadowed interior.

Examples

Los niños entraron a la casa después de jugar.

The children entered the house after playing.

Ellos entraron por la puerta equivocada, fue un error.

They entered through the wrong door; it was a mistake.

Ustedes entraron justo a tiempo para la cena.

You all came in just in time for dinner.

The Preterite Tense

This form, 'entraron,' is used to talk about actions that started and finished at a specific point in the past. It's like saying 'they did it' and the action is completely over.

Using 'a' or 'en'

When talking about entering a physical place, 'entrar' usually uses the preposition 'a' (entrar a la casa) or 'en' (entrar en la casa). Both are correct, but 'a' is often more common in Latin America.

Preterite vs. Imperfect

Mistake:They use 'entraban' (imperfect) when they mean 'entraron' (preterite).

Correction: Use 'entraron' only for a single, completed action in the past (e.g., 'They entered the room once'). Use 'entraban' for repeated or ongoing actions (e.g., 'They used to enter the room every day').

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