Encender Examples, Sentences & Quiz in Spanish

The Spanish verb encender means to turn on, to light. You can learn its forms from the full encender conjugation, but forms on their own are not enough: you need to see the verb in real sentences, in conversation, and in the mistakes people actually make. That is what this page is for. Below you will find example sentences grouped by use, two short dialogues, the common mistakes, a ten-question quiz with explained answers, and answers to the questions learners ask most. One sentence to start: Yo enciendo la luz. — "I switch on the light."

Encender example sentences

Everyday use — the present tense

  1. Yo enciendo la luz. — "I switch on the light."
  2. Tú enciendes la televisión. — "you switch on the television."
  3. Él enciende las luces del árbol. — "he/she switches on the lights on the tree."
  4. Nosotros encendemos el ordenador. — "we switch on the computer."

Talking about the past

  1. Yo encendí las luces del árbol. — "I switched on the lights on the tree."
  2. Él encendía el ordenador. — "he/she used to switch on the computer."
  3. Nosotros encendimos la chimenea. — "we switched on the fireplace."

Plans and wishes

  1. Yo encenderé la chimenea. — "I will switch on the fireplace."
  2. Tú encenderías por la noche. — "you would switch on at night."

More examples with encender

  1. Enciendo la luz por la noche. — "I switch on the light at night."
  2. Mi madre enciende la televisión después de cenar. — "My mother switches on the television after dinner."
  3. Ayer encendí una vela en el salón. — "Yesterday I lit a candle in the living room."
  4. De niño, encendía la chimenea con mi abuelo. — "As a child, I used to light the fireplace with my grandfather."
  5. Mañana encenderé el ordenador para trabajar. — "Tomorrow I will switch on the computer to work."
  6. Si tuviera cerillas, encendería una vela. — "If I had matches, I would light a candle."

Encender in conversation

Two short dialogues using encender naturally. Read them out loud: hearing the verb in a question and an answer is the fastest way to make the forms stick.

Dialogue 1: making plans

María: ¿Tú enciendes la luz? Carlos: Sí, yo enciendo la luz. ¿Y tú? María: Yo también. ¿Enciende la televisión? Carlos: Sí, él enciende la televisión todos los días. María: ¿Y mañana? ¿Tú encenderás las luces del árbol? Carlos: Sí, mañana yo encenderé las luces del árbol.

In this dialogue María asks Carlos what he does, and then they talk about tomorrow. Notice how the verb changes with the person: enciendes for tú, enciendo for yo, enciende for él. The future forms at the end (encenderás, encenderé) show the same verb talking about tomorrow.

Dialogue 2: talking about yesterday

Ana: ¿Tú enciendes el ordenador? Luis: Sí, yo enciendo el ordenador. ¿Y tú? Ana: Yo también. ¿Enciende la chimenea? Luis: Sí, él enciende la chimenea todos los días. Ana: ¿Y ayer? ¿Tú encendiste el ordenador? Luis: Sí, ayer yo encendí el ordenador.

Here Ana asks Luis about yesterday, so the answers use the preterite: encendí for yo, encendiste for tú. The preterite is the right choice because yesterday is finished; the present would describe a habit instead.

Common mistakes with encender in the present

These are the errors learners actually make with this verb. Each one shows the wrong version, the right version, and why it is wrong.

1. Yo encendo la luz.

Wrong: Yo encendo la luz.

Right: Yo enciendo la luz.

Encender is an e → ie stem-changing verb: yo enciendo, tú enciendes, él enciende, ellos encienden. Encendemos and encendéis keep the plain e.

2. Nosotros enciendemos la televisión.

Wrong: Nosotros enciendemos la televisión.

Right: Nosotros encendemos la televisión.

The stem change never applies to nosotros or vosotros: encendemos, not enciendemos.

3. Confusing encender with apagar

Wrong: Enciendo la luz.

Right: Apago la luz.

Encender is switching on or lighting; apagar is the opposite, switching off or putting out. Enciendes la luz al entrar y la apagas al salir.

4. Using the present for a finished past action

Wrong: Ayer yo enciendo la luz.

Right: Ayer yo encendí la luz.

Ayer (yesterday) signals a finished action, so it needs the preterite: encendí. The present describes what you do now or usually.

Quiz: encender in use

Ten questions across five tenses. Choose the right form for each sentence, then check the answers at the end of this section.

  1. Tú ___ la luz (present)
    • a) enciendes
    • b) enciendo
    • c) enciende
    • d) encendemos
  2. Nosotros ___ la televisión (preterite)
    • a) encendí
    • b) encendiste
    • c) encendió
    • d) encendimos
  3. Ellos ___ las luces del árbol (imperfect)
    • a) encendías
    • b) encendía
    • c) encendían
    • d) encendía
  4. Tú ___ el ordenador (future)
    • a) encenderemos
    • b) encenderás
    • c) encenderé
    • d) encenderá
  5. Nosotros ___ la chimenea (conditional)
    • a) encenderíamos
    • b) encendería
    • c) encenderías
    • d) encendería
  6. Ellos ___ por la noche (present)
    • a) enciendo
    • b) enciendes
    • c) enciende
    • d) encienden
  7. Tú ___ la luz (preterite)
    • a) encendió
    • b) encendimos
    • c) encendiste
    • d) encendí
  8. Nosotros ___ la televisión (imperfect)
    • a) encendía
    • b) encendíamos
    • c) encendía
    • d) encendías
  9. Ellos ___ las luces del árbol (future)
    • a) encenderán
    • b) encenderé
    • c) encenderás
    • d) encenderá
  10. Tú ___ el ordenador (conditional)
  • a) encendería
  • b) encendería
  • c) encenderíamos
  • d) encenderías

Answers

  1. a) enciendes — the present form, for tú.
  2. d) encendimos — the preterite form, for nosotros/as.
  3. c) encendían — the imperfect form, for ellos/ellas/Uds..
  4. b) encenderás — the future form, for tú.
  5. a) encenderíamos — the conditional form, for nosotros/as.
  6. d) encienden — the present form, for ellos/ellas/Uds..
  7. c) encendiste — the preterite form, for tú.
  8. b) encendíamos — the imperfect form, for nosotros/as.
  9. a) encenderán — the future form, for ellos/ellas/Uds..
  10. d) encenderías — the conditional form, for tú.

Frequently asked questions about encender

Why is it enciendo and not encendo?

Encender changes e to ie in the stressed forms of the present: enciendo, enciendes, enciende, encienden. The nosotros and vosotros forms are unstressed and keep e.

Does encender mean to switch on or to light?

Both. Encender covers switching on a light or a machine and lighting a candle, a fire or a cigarette. The object tells you which: enciendo la luz, enciendo una vela.

What are the gerund and the past participle of encender?

The gerund is encendiendo, used with estar for the progressive (estoy encendiendo), and the past participle is encendido, used with haber for the perfect tenses (he encendido).

Is encender regular?

Not entirely: encender has irregular forms, listed on its conjugation page. The present is enciendo, enciendes, enciende, encendemos, encendéis, encienden, and the full tables are on the encender conjugation page.

How to remember encender

Four small habits will fix encender in your memory. First, say the present tense out loud, in order, three times: enciendo, enciendes, enciende, encendemos, encendéis, encienden. Saying the forms is far more effective than reading them silently, because you hear the endings and the stem at the same time. Second, write three sentences about your own life: one about today with the present (enciendo), one about yesterday with the preterite (encendí), and one about tomorrow with the future (encenderé). Personal sentences stick because they are about you, not about a textbook. Third, remember the difference from apagar: Encender is switching on or lighting; apagar is the opposite, switching off or putting out. Enciendes la luz al entrar y la apagas al salir. Finally, learn the two key forms by heart: the gerund encendiendo and the past participle encendido. With those two and the present tense, you can already build the progressive (estoy encendiendo) and the present perfect (he encendido), which covers most everyday conversation.

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