How to Say "to enclose" in Spanish
The Spanish word for “to enclose” is “encerrar” — A2 level. This is a very common word in everyday Spanish.
Examples
Tienes que encerrar al perro antes de salir.
You have to shut the dog in before leaving.
Encerré las joyas en la caja fuerte.
I locked the jewelry in the safe.
La policía encerró al ladrón en la celda.
The police locked the thief in the cell.
The 'Boot Verb' Pattern
This verb changes its middle 'e' to 'ie' in all forms except 'nosotros' and 'vosotros'. Think of it like a boost of energy for the syllables that are stressed when you speak!
Using 'A' with People
When you lock up a person or a pet, you must put the little word 'a' before them: 'Encerrar a Juan' or 'Encerrar al gato'.
Encerrar vs. Cerrar
Mistake: “Cerrar la llave.”
Correction: Encerrar bajo llave (or simply 'Cerrar con llave'). 'Cerrar' means to close a door, while 'encerrar' means to put something inside and keep it there.
Related Translations
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