Enrojecer Examples, Sentences & Quiz in Spanish
enrojecer means "to redden, to blush" in English, and this page shows it in everyday use: real example sentences in several tenses, two short dialogues, the mistakes learners actually make, and a quiz to test yourself. You will see enrojecer with embarrassment in class, the sun on the beach, receiving the compliment and anger during the argument — the situations where Spanish speakers really use it. A good first sentence to learn is: Cada día, yo enrojezco de vergüenza en clase. — "Every day, I redden with embarrassment in class." Read the examples aloud, notice which tense each one uses, and then try the dialogues and the quiz.
enrojecer in everyday sentences
Twelve sentences with enrojecer, grouped by situation. Each one shows the verb in a different tense or person, with its English translation and a note on when to use that form.
Everyday use
- Cada día, yo enrojezco de vergüenza en clase. — "Every day, I redden with embarrassment in class." The present tense fits a habit here.
- Ayer, yo enrojecí por el sol en la playa. — "Yesterday, I reddened from the sun on the beach." The preterite fits one finished action.
- Antes, yo enrojecía al recibir el cumplido. — "In the past, I used to redden on receiving the compliment." The imperfect fits a repeated action in the past.
- Mañana, nosotros enrojeceremos de ira durante la discusión. — "Tomorrow, we will redden with anger during the argument." The future tense fits a plan for tomorrow.
- Si pudieras, tú enrojecerías de vergüenza en clase. — "If you could, you would redden with embarrassment in class." The conditional fits something that would happen.
- Yo he enrojecido por el sol en la playa. — "I have reddened from the sun on the beach." The present perfect fits an action with present relevance.
More situations
- Normalmente, él enrojece al recibir el cumplido. — "Normally, he/she reddens on receiving the compliment." The present tense fits a general truth here.
- Ayer, él enrojeció de ira durante la discusión. — "Yesterday, he/she reddened with anger during the argument." The preterite fits one finished action.
- Antes, nosotros enrojecíamos de vergüenza en clase. — "In the past, we used to redden with embarrassment in class." The imperfect fits a repeated action in the past.
- Mañana, yo enrojeceré por el sol en la playa. — "Tomorrow, I will redden from the sun on the beach." The future tense fits a plan for tomorrow.
- Espero que él enrojezca al recibir el cumplido. — "I hope that he/she reddens on receiving the compliment." The present subjunctive follows espero que.
- ¡Enrojece de ira durante la discusión! — "Redden with anger during the argument!" The imperative fits a direct order or request.
The verb in context
Two short dialogues using enrojecer naturally. Notice how the verb changes person and tense as the conversation moves, and how the complements stay the same kind of situation: embarrassment in class, the sun on the beach, receiving the compliment and anger during the argument.
Dialogue 1: talking about embarrassment in class
Lucía: ¿Tú enrojeces de vergüenza en clase? — "Do you redden with embarrassment in class?" Pedro: Sí, yo enrojezco de vergüenza en clase. — "I redden with embarrassment in class." Lucía: ¿Y ayer? — "And yesterday?" Pedro: Ayer, yo enrojecí por el sol en la playa. — "Yesterday, I reddened from the sun on the beach." Lucía: Mañana, nosotros enrojeceremos al recibir el cumplido. — "Tomorrow, we will redden on receiving the compliment." Pedro: Si pudiera, yo enrojecería de ira durante la discusión. — "If I could, I would redden with anger during the argument." Lucía: Antes, yo enrojecía por el sol en la playa. — "In the past, I used to redden from the sun on the beach." Pedro: Yo he enrojecido de vergüenza en clase. — "I have reddened with embarrassment in class." Lucía: ¡Enrojece al recibir el cumplido! — "Redden on receiving the compliment!"
In this dialogue enrojecer appears in the present, the preterite, the imperfect, the future, the conditional and the present perfect. That is the point: one verb, many tenses, and the complement tells you which situation you are in. Try the same dialogue with your own complements.
Dialogue 2: talking about receiving the compliment
Lucía: Él enrojece al recibir el cumplido. — "he/she reddens on receiving the compliment." Pedro: ¿De verdad? ¿Él enrojece al recibir el cumplido todos los días? — "Really? Does he/she reddens on receiving the compliment every day?" Lucía: Sí, y ellos enrojecen de ira durante la discusión. — "they redden with anger during the argument." Pedro: Ayer, ellos enrojecieron al recibir el cumplido. — "Yesterday, they reddened on receiving the compliment." Lucía: Espero que él enrojezca de ira durante la discusión. — "I hope that he/she reddens with anger during the argument." Pedro: Mañana, él enrojecerá al recibir el cumplido. — "Tomorrow, he/she will redden on receiving the compliment." Lucía: Antes, nosotros enrojecíamos de ira durante la discusión. — "In the past, we used to redden with anger during the argument." Pedro: Nosotros enrojecemos de vergüenza en clase también. — "we redden with embarrassment in class too."
This dialogue shows enrojecer in the third person and in the plural, which is where learners most often hesitate. Read it aloud with a partner, swapping the names and the complements for your own life, and the forms will start to feel automatic.
Common mistakes with enrojecer
The errors learners actually make with enrojecer in everyday use, each with the wrong form, the right form, and why it is wrong.
Mistake 1: Adding a reflexive pronoun that does not belong
- Wrong: Yo me enrojezco de vergüenza en clase.
- Right: Yo enrojezco de vergüenza en clase.
- Why: enrojecer is not reflexive, so there is no pronoun to add: Yo enrojezco de vergüenza en clase. is the correct sentence.
Mistake 2: Using the infinitive as a conjugated form
- Wrong: Yo enrojecer de vergüenza en clase.
- Right: Yo enrojezco de vergüenza en clase.
- Why: The infinitive enrojecer is the dictionary form, not a conjugated form. In a sentence with yo you need the present-tense form enrojezco.
Mistake 3: Using the present tense for yesterday
- Wrong: Ayer, yo enrojezco por el sol en la playa.
- Right: Ayer, yo enrojecí por el sol en la playa.
- Why: Ayer means yesterday, so the action is finished and needs the preterite: Ayer, yo enrojecí por el sol en la playa. — "Yesterday, I reddened from the sun on the beach."
Mistake 4: Mixing up the gerund and the participle
- Wrong: Estoy enrojecido al recibir el cumplido.
- Right: Estoy enrojeciendo al recibir el cumplido.
- Why: After estar you need the gerund enrojeciendo for the progressive. The participle enrojecido goes with haber in the perfect tenses (he enrojecido), never after estar.
Mistake 5: Using the él form for nosotros
- Wrong: Nosotros enrojece de vergüenza en clase.
- Right: Nosotros enrojecemos de vergüenza en clase.
- Why: The person and the ending must match: nosotros takes enrojecemos, while enrojece belongs to él and ella.
Quiz: enrojecer in use
Test yourself with ten questions on enrojecer. The answers are explained, so read them even when you get a question right.
1. What is the yo form of enrojecer in the present tense?
- (a) enrojecemos
- (b) enrojezco
- (c) enrojeces
- (d) enrojece
Answer: (b) enrojezco. The yo form is enrojezco.
2. What is the tú form of enrojecer in the present tense?
- (a) enrojeces
- (b) enrojezco
- (c) enrojece
- (d) enrojecemos
Answer: (a) enrojeces. The tú form is enrojeces.
3. What is the él/ella form of enrojecer in the present tense?
- (a) enrojezco
- (b) enrojeces
- (c) enrojecemos
- (d) enrojece
Answer: (d) enrojece. The él/ella form is enrojece.
4. Complete the sentence: Cada día, yo ___ de vergüenza en clase.
- (a) enrojece
- (b) enrojecemos
- (c) enrojezco
- (d) enrojeces
Answer: (c) enrojezco. The sentence needs the yo form enrojezco.
5. Complete the sentence: Ayer, yo ___ por el sol en la playa.
- (a) enrojecimos
- (b) enrojecí
- (c) enrojeciste
- (d) enrojeció
Answer: (b) enrojecí. Ayer needs the preterite, and the yo form is enrojecí.
6. Complete the sentence: Antes, yo ___ al recibir el cumplido.
- (a) enrojecía
- (b) enrojecías
- (c) enrojecíamos
- (d) enrojecíais
Answer: (a) enrojecía. Antes needs the imperfect, and the yo form is enrojecía.
7. Complete the sentence: Mañana, yo ___ de ira durante la discusión.
- (a) enrojecerás
- (b) enrojecerá
- (c) enrojeceremos
- (d) enrojeceré
Answer: (d) enrojeceré. Mañana needs the future, and the yo form is enrojeceré.
8. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ de vergüenza en clase.
- (a) has enrojecido
- (b) ha enrojecido
- (c) hemos enrojecido
- (d) he enrojecido
Answer: (d) he enrojecido. The present perfect uses haber plus the participle: he enrojecido.
9. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ al recibir el cumplido.
- (a) enrojecáis
- (b) enrojezca
- (c) enrojezcas
- (d) enrojezcamos
Answer: (b) enrojezca. After espero que Spanish needs the subjunctive, and the él form is enrojezca.
10. What does enrojecer mean in English?
- (a) to specialise in
- (b) to redden, to blush
- (c) to electrify
- (d) to specialise
Answer: (b) to redden, to blush. enrojecer means "to redden, to blush" in English.
Frequently asked questions about enrojecer
What does enrojecer mean?
enrojecer means "to redden, to blush" in English. Use it when you talk about embarrassment in class, the sun on the beach, receiving the compliment and anger during the argument — for example: Cada día, yo enrojezco de vergüenza en clase. — "Every day, I redden with embarrassment in class."
Is there a reflexive form of enrojecer?
No. enrojecer is not reflexive, so it is used without a pronoun: Cada día, yo enrojezco de vergüenza en clase. — "Every day, I redden with embarrassment in class."
What is the most common mistake with enrojecer?
The spelling change. Watch the spelling: the c becomes zc before o and a, so the yo form is enrojezco and the subjunctive forms start with zc, for example enrojezca. Practise the yo form and the subjunctive forms until they feel automatic, and check them against the table on the conjugation page.
How can I practise enrojecer?
Take the quiz above, then make your own sentences: change the person in each example, change the complement to something from your own life, and say the sentence aloud. The verb quiz and the verb translator on this site give you more practice with the same forms.