Enfrentar Examples, Sentences & Quiz

Introduction

enfrentar means to face, and it is one of those verbs that shows up everywhere once you start listening for it. It is a regular -ar verb verb, and this page puts it to work: real example sentences in several tenses, grouped by use, two short passages that show the verb in context, the mistakes learners make with it, a ten-question quiz and answers to common questions. If you only learn one sentence, make it «Yo enfrento todos los días» — I face every day. The rest of this page builds out from there, tense by tense, so you can use enfrentar the way native speakers do — in the present for habits, in the past for finished events, and in the subjunctive after wishes and doubts.

Enfrentar in real example sentences

In the present: everyday use

The present is where enfrentar lives most of the time — routines, facts and what is happening now:

  1. Yo enfrento todos los días. — I face every day.
  2. Tú enfrentas en el trabajo. — You face at work.
  3. Él enfrenta con mi familia. — He faces with my family.
  4. Nosotros enfrentamos por la mañana. — We face in the morning.

Talking about the past

In the past, choose the preterite for a finished event and the imperfect for a habit or background:

  1. Ayer yo enfrenté por la tarde. — Yesterday I faced in the afternoon.
  2. Antes, yo enfrentaba todos los días. — In the past, I used to face every day.
  3. La semana pasada él enfrentó dos veces. — Last week He faced twice.

Plans and things already done

The future, the conditional and the present perfect round out the picture — plans, hypotheticals and recent events:

  1. Mañana yo enfrentaré sin falta. — Tomorrow I will face without fail.
  2. Si tuviera más tiempo, yo enfrentaría ahora mismo. — If I had more time, I would face right now.
  3. Hoy yo he enfrentado dos veces. — Today I have faced twice.

More everyday uses

The subjunctive, the imperative and the progressive cover wishes, commands and actions in progress:

  1. Espero que tú enfrentes pronto. — I hope You face soon.
  2. ¡enfrenta, por favor! — Face, please!
  3. Ahora mismo yo estoy enfrentando. — Right now I am facing.

Enfrentar in context

A short dialogue

Ana: «Yo enfrento en el trabajo.» — I face at work. Luis: «¡Qué bien! Yo enfrento con mi familia.» — I face with my family. Ana: «Mañana yo enfrentaré sin falta.» — Tomorrow I will face without fail. Luis: «Si tuviera más tiempo, yo enfrentaría ahora mismo.» — If I had more time, I would face right now. Ana: «Hoy yo he enfrentado dos veces.» — Today I have faced twice.

A short paragraph

Ayer yo enfrenté por la tarde. Antes, yo enfrentaba todos los días. Hoy yo he enfrentado dos veces. Mañana yo enfrentaré sin falta.

Yesterday I faced in the afternoon. In the past, I used to face every day. Today I have faced twice. Tomorrow I will face without fail.

Common mistakes with enfrentar

1. Using the imperfect for a finished event

Wrong: Ayer yo enfrentaba.

Right: Ayer yo enfrenté.

Yesterday's finished action needs the preterite, enfrenté. The imperfect enfrentaba describes what used to happen or what was going on, not a single completed event.

2. Using the indicative after a subjunctive trigger

Wrong: Espero que tú enfrentas.

Right: Espero que tú enfrentes.

After espero que, Spanish requires the subjunctive: enfrentes, not the indicative enfrentas. Wishes, hopes and doubts all trigger this change.

3. Using the affirmative imperative after no

Wrong: No enfrenta.

Right: No enfrentes.

Negative commands use the subjunctive-based forms: no enfrentes. The affirmative enfrenta can never follow no.

4. Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form

Wrong: Yo enfrentar todos los días.

Right: Yo enfrento todos los días.

The infinitive enfrentar names the action; it never works as the main verb of a sentence. Conjugate it for the person: yo enfrento.

5. Confusing the gerund with the past participle

Wrong: He enfrentando.

Right: He enfrentado.

The perfect tenses use haber plus the past participle: he enfrentado. The gerund enfrentando goes with estar for actions in progress («Estoy enfrentando»), never with haber.

Quiz: enfrentar in use

Test yourself on enfrentar in use. Choose the correct answer, then check the key below.

1. What is the vosotros/as form of enfrentar in the present indicative?

- (a) enfrento
- (b) enfrentáis
- (c) enfrenta
- (d) enfrentas

2. What is the ellos/ellas/Uds. form of enfrentar in the preterite?

- (a) enfrentaron
- (b) enfrenté
- (c) enfrentó
- (d) enfrentaste

3. What is the yo form of enfrentar in the future?

- (a) enfrentaré
- (b) enfrentaremos
- (c) enfrentará
- (d) enfrentarás

4. What is the tú form of enfrentar in the present perfect?

- (a) hemos enfrentado
- (b) ha enfrentado
- (c) he enfrentado
- (d) has enfrentado

5. What is the vosotros/as form of enfrentar in the imperfect?

- (a) enfrentabas
- (b) enfrentabais
- (c) enfrentaba
- (d) enfrentaba

6. What is the gerund of enfrentar?

- (a) enfrentando
- (b) enfrentar
- (c) enfrento
- (d) enfrentado

7. What is the past participle of enfrentar?

- (a) enfrenté
- (b) enfrentado
- (c) enfrentando
- (d) enfrentar

8. Which sentence uses enfrentar correctly?

- (a) *Yo enfrentas todos los días.*
- (b) *Yo enfrentar todos los días.*
- (c) *Yo enfrenta todos los días.*
- (d) *Yo enfrento todos los días.* — I face every day.

9. Which sentence uses enfrentar correctly?

- (a) *Ayer yo enfrentar por la tarde.*
- (b) *Ayer yo enfrento por la tarde.*
- (c) *Ayer yo enfrenté por la tarde.* — Yesterday I faced in the afternoon.
- (d) *Ayer yo enfrentaba por la tarde.*

10. What does enfrentar mean?

- (a) to face up to
- (b) to fall ill
- (c) to face
- (d) to focus

Answer key

1. (b) — In the present indicative, the vosotros/as form of enfrentar is enfrentáis. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 2. (a) — In the preterite, the ellos/ellas/Uds. form of enfrentar is enfrentaron. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 3. (a) — In the future, the yo form of enfrentar is enfrentaré. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 4. (d) — In the present perfect, the tú form of enfrentar is has enfrentado. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 5. (b) — In the imperfect, the vosotros/as form of enfrentar is enfrentabais. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 6. (a) — The gerund of enfrentar is enfrentando. It is used with estar for the progressive: «Estoy enfrentando». 7. (b) — The past participle of enfrentar is enfrentado. It follows haber in all the perfect tenses: «he enfrentado». 8. (d) — Only this sentence pairs the right person with the right form of enfrentar; the others mix a person with another person's form, or use the infinitive instead of a conjugated form. 9. (c) — Only this sentence pairs the right person with the right form of enfrentar; the others mix a person with another person's form, or use the infinitive instead of a conjugated form. 10. (c) — enfrentar means «to face».

Frequently asked questions

How do you say 'I face' in Spanish?

Say «Yo enfrento todos los días». That is the present-tense yo form, and it is the sentence you will use most with this verb.

How do you say 'I faced' about yesterday?

Say «Ayer yo enfrenté por la tarde». The preterite is the tense for a finished event: yesterday, last week, last night.

Is enfrentar reflexive?

No — enfrentar is not reflexive. It conjugates without a pronoun: yo enfrento, tú enfrentas, él enfrenta. If you see a -se form of a similar verb, that is a different verb with its own meaning.

Which tense do learners find hardest with enfrentar?

Most learners struggle with choosing between the preterite and the imperfect, not with the forms themselves. Use the preterite (enfrenté) for a single finished event and the imperfect (enfrentaba) for habits and background. After that, the subjunctive is the next step.

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