Enchufar Conjugation in Spanish

The Spanish verb enchufar means to plug in, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. 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. Like every Spanish verb, enchufar changes its ending for each person and tense, and this page gives you the complete picture: every tense, every person, the gerund and the past participle, all from the verified conjugation tables. For example, in the present tense you say enchufo el cargador en la pared, and in the preterite you say enchufé el ordenador en la oficina. Work through the tables below, read the notes for each tense, and then test yourself with the examples, the common mistakes and the quiz at the end of the page.

Quick facts

  • Infinitive: enchufar
  • English: to plug in
  • Verb type: regular -ar verb
  • Ending: -ar
  • Gerund: enchufando
  • Past participle: enchufado
  • Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + enchufado)

Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for enchufar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Enchufar is fully regular: enchufé, enchufaba, enchufaré. Enchufar el cargador is to plug in the charger.

Full conjugation tables

Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for enchufar. The imperfect subjunctive is shown in its -ra forms; the -se forms use the same stem. For reflexive verbs, the pronoun column shows the reflexive pronoun that goes before each form.

Present indicative

Person Form
yo enchufo
tú enchufas
él/ella/Ud. enchufa
nosotros/as enchufamos
vosotros/as enchufáis
ellos/ellas/Uds. enchufan

Preterite

Person Form
yo enchufé
tú enchufaste
él/ella/Ud. enchufó
nosotros/as enchufamos
vosotros/as enchufasteis
ellos/ellas/Uds. enchufaron

Imperfect

Person Form
yo enchufaba
tú enchufabas
él/ella/Ud. enchufaba
nosotros/as enchufábamos
vosotros/as enchufabais
ellos/ellas/Uds. enchufaban

Future

Person Form
yo enchufaré
tú enchufarás
él/ella/Ud. enchufará
nosotros/as enchufaremos
vosotros/as enchufaréis
ellos/ellas/Uds. enchufarán

Conditional

Person Form
yo enchufaría
tú enchufarías
él/ella/Ud. enchufaría
nosotros/as enchufaríamos
vosotros/as enchufaríais
ellos/ellas/Uds. enchufarían

Present perfect

Person Form
yo he enchufado
tú has enchufado
él/ella/Ud. ha enchufado
nosotros/as hemos enchufado
vosotros/as habéis enchufado
ellos/ellas/Uds. han enchufado

Pluperfect

Person Form
yo había enchufado
tú habías enchufado
él/ella/Ud. había enchufado
nosotros/as habíamos enchufado
vosotros/as habíais enchufado
ellos/ellas/Uds. habían enchufado

Future perfect

Person Form
yo habré enchufado
tú habrás enchufado
él/ella/Ud. habrá enchufado
nosotros/as habremos enchufado
vosotros/as habréis enchufado
ellos/ellas/Uds. habrán enchufado

Conditional perfect

Person Form
yo habría enchufado
tú habrías enchufado
él/ella/Ud. habría enchufado
nosotros/as habríamos enchufado
vosotros/as habríais enchufado
ellos/ellas/Uds. habrían enchufado

Present subjunctive

Person Form
yo enchufe
tú enchufes
él/ella/Ud. enchufe
nosotros/as enchufemos
vosotros/as enchuféis
ellos/ellas/Uds. enchufen

Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)

Person Form
yo enchufara
tú enchufaras
él/ella/Ud. enchufara
nosotros/as enchufáramos
vosotros/as enchufarais
ellos/ellas/Uds. enchufaran

Imperative (affirmative)

Person Form
tú enchufa
él/ella/Ud. enchufe
nosotros/as enchufemos
vosotros/as enchufad
ellos/ellas/Uds. enchufen

Imperative (negative)

Person Form
tú enchufes
él/ella/Ud. enchufe
nosotros/as enchufemos
vosotros/as enchuféis
ellos/ellas/Uds. enchufen

Gerund and past participle

Form Spanish Use
Gerund enchufando with estar for the progressive: estoy enchufando
Past participle enchufado with haber for the perfect tenses: he enchufado

How to use each tense

Present indicative

Use the present for routines, general facts and what is happening right now. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For enchufar, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Enchufo el cargador en la pared. Learn the present forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Preterite

Use the preterite for finished actions with a clear end, often with ayer, el año pasado or anoche. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For enchufar, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, enchufé la lámpara junto a la cama. Learn the preterite forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Imperfect

Use the imperfect for background, habits and actions in progress in the past, often with de niño, antes or mientras. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For enchufar, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, enchufaba el ordenador en la oficina. Learn the imperfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Future

Use the future for plans, predictions and promises, often with mañana, el año que viene or pronto. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For enchufar, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, enchufaré el televisor en el salón. Learn the future forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Conditional

Use the conditional for polite requests, hypotheticals and what would happen, often with si clauses. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For enchufar, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Enchufaría el cargador en la pared si pudiera. Learn the conditional forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Present perfect

Use the present perfect for recent actions and experiences, often with hoy, esta semana or ya. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For enchufar, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he enchufado la lámpara junto a la cama. Learn the present perfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Pluperfect

Use the pluperfect when one past action happened before another past action. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For enchufar, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había enchufado el ordenador en la oficina antes de salir. Learn the pluperfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Future perfect

Use the future perfect for something that will already be finished by a future time. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For enchufar, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré enchufado el televisor en el salón. Learn the future perfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Conditional perfect

Use the conditional perfect for what would have happened under different conditions. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For enchufar, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría enchufado el cargador en la pared con más tiempo. Learn the conditional perfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Present subjunctive

Use the present subjunctive after expressions of wish, doubt, emotion and hope, such as espero que or quiero que. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For enchufar, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él enchufe la lámpara junto a la cama. Learn the present subjunctive forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)

Use the imperfect subjunctive after past wishes and in si clauses about the past, and note the -ra forms shown here; the -se forms use the same stem. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For enchufar, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él enchufara el ordenador en la oficina, todo cambiaría. Learn the imperfect subjunctive forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Imperative (affirmative)

Use the affirmative imperative for direct commands, instructions and invitations. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For enchufar, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡Enchufa el televisor en el salón! Learn the affirmative imperative forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Imperative (negative)

Use the negative imperative, always with no, to tell someone not to do something. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For enchufar, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No enchufes el cargador en la pared. Learn the negative imperative forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Example sentences

Ten natural sentences with enchufar, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.

  1. Enchufo el cargador en la pared. — I plug in the charger into the wall.
  2. Enchufa la lámpara junto a la cama. — He/she plugs in the lamp beside the bed.
  3. Ayer, enchufé el ordenador en la oficina. — Yesterday, I plugged in the computer in the office.
  4. Antes, nosotros enchufábamos el televisor en el salón. — Before, we used to plug in the television in the living room.
  5. Mañana, tú enchufarás el cargador en la pared. — Tomorrow, you will plug in the charger into the wall.
  6. Yo enchufaría la lámpara junto a la cama si tuviera más tiempo. — I would plug in the lamp beside the bed if I had more time.
  7. Él ha enchufado el ordenador en la oficina. — He has plugged in the computer in the office.
  8. Espero que él enchufe el televisor en el salón. — I hope he plugs in the television in the living room.
  9. Yo ya había enchufado el cargador en la pared antes de salir. — I had already plugged in the charger into the wall before leaving.
  10. Ellos enchufaban la lámpara junto a la cama cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to plug in the lamp beside the bed when they were young.

Common mistakes

  1. Wrong: Yo enchufa el cargador en la pared. — Right: Yo enchufo el cargador en la pared. — 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.
  2. Wrong: Ayer yo enchufo la lámpara junto a la cama. — Right: Ayer yo enchufé la lámpara junto a la cama. — 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.
  3. Wrong: Treating enchufar and desenchufar as identical in every context. — Right: Enchufar means to plug in, while desenchufar means to unplug. — 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.
  4. Wrong: Yo soy enchufado la lámpara junto a la cama. — Right: Yo he enchufado la lámpara junto a la cama. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he enchufado, has enchufado, ha enchufado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
  5. 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. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (enchufaba), not the preterite. The preterite (enchufé) is for one finished action.

Quiz: test yourself

Ten questions on enchufar. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.

  1. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ el cargador en la pared. (present tense) A. enchufo B. enchufas C. enchufa D. enchufamos

  2. Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ la lámpara junto a la cama. (preterite) A. enchufé B. enchufaste C. enchufaron D. enchufó

  3. Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ el ordenador en la oficina. (imperfect) A. enchufabas B. enchufaban C. enchufábamos D. enchufaba

  4. Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ el televisor en el salón. (future) A. enchufaremos B. enchufarás C. enchufaré D. enchufará

  5. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ el cargador en la pared si pudiera. (conditional) A. enchufaría B. enchufarías C. enchufarían D. enchufo

  6. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ la lámpara junto a la cama. (present subjunctive) A. enchufes B. enchufemos C. enchufo D. enchufe

  7. Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ el ordenador en la oficina, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. enchufáramos B. enchufo C. enchufara D. enchufaras

  8. Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ el televisor en el salón. (present perfect) A. han enchufado B. hemos enchufado C. he enchufado D. has enchufado

  9. Complete the command: ¡___ el cargador en la pared! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. enchufa B. enchufe C. enchufemos D. enchufad

  10. Which is the gerund of enchufar, used with estar for the progressive? A. enchufado B. enchufo C. enchufé D. enchufando

Answer key

  1. enchufo — The first-person present of enchufar is enchufo. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
  2. enchufó — The third-person preterite of enchufar is enchufó, the form for a single finished action in the past.
  3. enchufábamos — The nosotros imperfect of enchufar is enchufábamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
  4. enchufarás — The second-person future of enchufar is enchufarás.
  5. enchufaría — The first-person conditional of enchufar is enchufaría, the form for what would happen.
  6. enchufe — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of enchufar is enchufe.
  7. enchufara — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of enchufar is enchufara.
  8. hemos enchufado — The nosotros present perfect of enchufar is hemos enchufado: hemos + enchufado.
  9. enchufa — The affirmative tú imperative of enchufar is enchufa.
  10. enchufando — The gerund of enchufar is enchufando: estoy enchufando. The participle enchufado is used with haber instead.

Frequently asked questions

What does enchufar mean in English?

Enchufar means to plug in. It is used in everyday situations such as Enchufo el cargador en la pared. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.

Is enchufar regular or irregular?

Enchufar is a fully regular -ar verb, so every tense follows the standard endings for its class. Once you know the regular pattern, you can produce every form on this page, including enchufo in the present and enchufé in the preterite.

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, and use desenchufar for to unplug. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.

How do I say “I plug in” in the past?

It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo enchufé la lámpara junto a la cama. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo enchufaba el ordenador en la oficina. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he enchufado la lámpara junto a la cama.

How do I practise enchufar?

Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the enchufar examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.

Related links