Enchufar Examples, Sentences and Quiz
Enchufar means “to plug in”, and it is one of the verbs you will use every day in Spanish. Enchufar means to plug in, and it is used for plugging in a phone charger, a lamp or a computer. It is the opposite of desenchufar, and it is fully regular. This page shows enchufar in real sentences, in short dialogues, and in the mistakes learners make most often, and it finishes with a ten-question quiz so you can test yourself. Every sentence below comes with its English translation, and every form is the correct present-tense form unless the sentence is clearly marked as past or future. For a first taste: “Yo enchufo el cargador en la pared.” — I plug in the charger into the wall.
Enchufar in real example sentences
The twelve sentences below are grouped by how enchufar is used. Read each one out loud, then read the translation. If a sentence feels useful, copy it into your own notebook with one small change — a different time, a different person, a different place — and you have a new sentence of your own.
In the present: everyday use
These sentences use enchufar in the present tense, which is how you will meet it most often: routines, facts, and things happening now.
“Enchufo el cargador en la pared.” — I plug in the charger into the wall.
“¿Tú enchufas la lámpara junto a la cama?” — Do you plug in the lamp beside the bed?
“Enchufa el ordenador en la oficina.” — He/she plugs in the computer in the office.
“Enchufamos el televisor en el salón.” — We plug in the television in the living room.
Talking about the past
The present is not the only tense you need. These sentences show enchufar in the past, so you can talk about what already happened.
“Ayer, yo enchufé el cargador en la pared.” — Yesterday, I plugged in the charger into the wall. (preterite)
“Él enchufaba la lámpara junto a la cama todos los días.” — He used to plug in the lamp beside the bed every day. (imperfect)
Plans and things already done
These sentences look forward, or look back at something already finished. Notice how the verb form changes while the meaning of enchufar stays the same.
“Nosotros enchufaremos el ordenador en la oficina mañana.” — We will plug in the computer in the office tomorrow. (future)
“¿Tú has enchufado el televisor en el salón?” — Have you plugged in the television in the living room? (present perfect)
More everyday uses
Four more present-tense sentences, covering the remaining persons, so you can see the whole table in action.
“Enchufáis el cargador en la pared.” — You plug in the charger into the wall.
“Enchufan la lámpara junto a la cama.” — They plug in the lamp beside the bed.
“Enchufo el ordenador en la oficina.” — I plug in the computer in the office.
“Enchufa el televisor en el salón.” — He/she plugs in the television in the living room.
Enchufar in context
Single sentences teach you the forms. Dialogues teach you when to use them. Read the short conversation below, then the paragraph that follows, and notice how enchufar appears naturally, without anyone stopping to think about conjugation.
A short dialogue
Lucía: “¿Tú enchufas el cargador en la pared?” — Do you plug in the charger into the wall?
Carlos: “Sí, yo enchufo el cargador en la pared.” — Yes, I plug in the charger into the wall.
Lucía: “Nosotros enchufamos la lámpara junto a la cama.” — We plug in the lamp beside the bed.
Carlos: “Y ellos enchufan el ordenador en la oficina.” — And they plug in the computer in the office.
Lucía: “Vosotros enchufáis el televisor en el salón.” — You plug in the television in the living room.
Carlos: “Sí, y él enchufa la lámpara junto a la cama.” — Yes, and he plugs in the lamp beside the bed.
A short paragraph
Lucía enchufa el cargador en la pared, y Carlos enchufa la lámpara junto a la cama. Nosotros enchufamos el ordenador en la oficina, y ellos enchufan el televisor en el salón. Yo enchufo el ordenador en la oficina, y mi padre enchufa el televisor en el salón. Enchufar is part of everyday life, because to plug in is something Spanish speakers do again and again, in every tense and every situation.
Common mistakes with enchufar
These are the errors learners actually make with enchufar. Each one shows the wrong version, the right version, and why the correction matters.
Wrong: “Yo enchufa el cargador en la pared.” Right: “Yo enchufo el cargador en la pared.” Why: The person matters: enchufa is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is enchufo. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
Wrong: “Ayer yo enchufo la lámpara junto a la cama.” Right: “Ayer yo enchufé la lámpara junto a la cama.” Why: The present and the preterite are different tenses: enchufo is happening now, while enchufé is a finished action in the past. Use the preterite with ayer.
Wrong: “Treating enchufar and desenchufar as identical in every context.” Right: “Enchufar means to plug in, while desenchufar means to unplug.” Why: They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: enchufar fits sentences such as Enchufo el cargador en la pared, while desenchufar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
Wrong: “Yo soy enchufado la lámpara junto a la cama.” Right: “Yo he enchufado la lámpara junto a la cama.” Why: Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he enchufado, has enchufado, ha enchufado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
Wrong: “De niño, yo enchufé el ordenador en la oficina todos los días.” Right: “De niño, yo enchufaba el ordenador en la oficina todos los días.” Why: For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (enchufaba), not the preterite. The preterite (enchufé) is for one finished action.
Quiz: enchufar in use
Ten questions on enchufar in real sentences. Choose the correct answer for each one, then check the answer key. Every answer is explained.
1. Complete the sentence: “Vosotros ______ el cargador en la pared.” (The charger into the wall.)
- (a) enchufáis
- (b) enchufo
- (c) enchufas
Answer: enchufáis — The vosotros/as form of enchufar in the present is enchufáis.
2. Complete the sentence: “Ellos ______ la lámpara junto a la cama.” (The lamp beside the bed.)
- (a) enchufo
- (b) enchufas
- (c) enchufan
Answer: enchufan — The ellos/ellas/Uds. form of enchufar in the present is enchufan.
3. Complete the sentence: “Yo ______ el cargador en la pared.” (The charger into the wall.)
- (a) enchufó
- (b) enchufé
- (c) enchufaste
Answer: enchufé — The yo form of enchufar in the preterite is enchufé.
4. Complete the sentence: “Él ______ la lámpara junto a la cama.” (The lamp beside the bed.)
- (a) enchufaba
- (b) enchufabas
- (c) enchufábamos
Answer: enchufaba — The él/ella/Ud. form of enchufar in the imperfect is enchufaba.
5. Complete the sentence: “Nosotros ______ el ordenador en la oficina.” (The computer in the office.)
- (a) enchufaré
- (b) enchufarás
- (c) enchufaremos
Answer: enchufaremos — The nosotros/as form of enchufar in the future is enchufaremos.
6. What does enchufar mean in English?
- (a) to tie, to moor
- (b) to plug in
- (c) to unplug
Answer: to plug in — Enchufar means “to plug in”. The other options are the meanings of different verbs.
7. Which sentence is correct?
- (a) Yo enchufo el cargador en la pared.
- (b) Ellos enchufa el cargador en la pared.
- (c) Yo enchufo la lámpara junto a la cama ayer.
Answer: Yo enchufo el cargador en la pared. — “Yo enchufo el cargador en la pared.” is correct. The other two sentences contain the mistakes explained in the section above.
8. How do you say “I plug in the charger into the wall.” in Spanish?
- (a) Yo enchufan el cargador en la pared.
- (b) Yo enchufé el cargador en la pared.
- (c) Yo enchufo el cargador en la pared.
Answer: Yo enchufo el cargador en la pared. — “Yo enchufo el cargador en la pared.” is the correct translation. The second option uses the wrong person's form, and the third uses the preterite.
9. What is the nosotros form of enchufar in the present tense?
- (a) enchufas
- (b) enchufamos
- (c) enchufo
Answer: enchufamos — The nosotros form is enchufamos.
10. Which of these sentences is in the present tense?
- (a) Ayer, yo enchufé el cargador en la pared.
- (b) Nosotros enchufaremos el cargador en la pared mañana.
- (c) Yo enchufo el cargador en la pared.
Answer: Yo enchufo el cargador en la pared. — “Yo enchufo el cargador en la pared.” is in the present tense. The other two are in the preterite and the future.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say 'I plug in' in Spanish?
Say 'Yo enchufo el cargador en la pared'. The complement follows directly, as in the examples above. For a routine, add a time expression: 'Yo enchufo el cargador en la pared todos los días'.
How do you say 'I plug in' in the past?
For one finished action, say 'Ayer, yo enchufé la lámpara junto a la cama'. For a repeated habit, say 'Yo enchufaba la lámpara junto a la cama todos los días'. For something already done, say 'Yo he enchufado la lámpara junto a la cama'.
What is the difference between enchufar and desenchufar?
Enchufar means to plug in, while desenchufar means to unplug. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use enchufar when you mean to plug in, as in Enchufo el cargador en la pared.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of enchufar — every tense of enchufar in one place.
- Enchufar in the present tense — the full table and usage rules for one tense.
- Spanish verbs — the hub for every Spanish verb on VerbFlow.
- Verb quiz — test yourself on enchufar and other verbs.
- Conjugation practice — drill the forms of enchufar until they are automatic.