The Imperative Mood (Affirmative Commands) of Encender is used to give direct orders or instructions to turn something on, for example Enciende la luz. (Turn on the light.)

Encender is a stem-changing verb, meaning the vowel in the stem changes from ‘e’ to ‘ie’ in certain conjugations. This pattern is common for verbs like encender that end in ‘-ender’.

Conjugations

Conjugations of Encender (to turn on) in the Imperative Mood (Affirmative Commands) tense (Latin American Spanish):

Encender generally means to turn on or light up, but has several different meanings in the Imperative Mood (Affirmative Commands), some of which might surprise you.

To turn on a light or device: for example, ¡Enciende la lámpara! (Turn on the lamp!)

To ignite or light a fire: for example, ¡Enciende la fogata! (Light the campfire!)

To turn on an engine or machine: for example, ¡Enciende el motor! (Start the engine!)

To excite or arouse (slang): for example, ¡Enciéndeme, preciosa! (Turn me on, gorgeous!)

To get angry or upset (colloquial): for example, ¡No me enciendas! (Don’t get me riled up!)

Examples

Examples of Encender in the Imperative Mood (Affirmative Commands)

¡Enciende la chimenea! Hace frío esta noche. (Light the fireplace! It’s cold tonight.)

Por favor, encienda las velas para crear un ambiente romántico. (Please light the candles to create a romantic atmosphere.)

Antes de salir, encendamos las luces navideñas para alegrar el vecindario. (Before leaving, let’s turn on the Christmas lights to brighten up the neighborhood.)

Mamá, enciende la estufa para que pueda preparar el desayuno. (Mom, turn on the stove so I can make breakfast.)

Señor, encienda su motor. Estamos listos para partir. (Sir, start your engine. We’re ready to depart.)

¡Enciendan las antorchas! La fiesta está por comenzar. (Light the torches! The party is about to start.)

Oye, enciende el aire acondicionado. ¡Hace un calor insoportable! (Hey, turn on the AC. It’s unbearably hot!)

Por favor, encienda la computadora para que pueda revisar mi correo electrónico. (Please turn on the computer so I can check my email.)

Antes de acampar, encendamos una fogata para mantenernos calientes. (Before camping, let’s light a campfire to keep us warm.)

¡Enciende las luces de emergencia! Hay un accidente en la carretera. (Turn on the emergency lights! There’s an accident on the road.)

Por favor, encienda la televisión. Quiero ver las noticias de última hora. (Please turn on the TV. I want to watch the breaking news.)

Antes de la reunión, encendamos la videollamada para asegurarnos de que todo funcione correctamente. (Before the meeting, let’s turn on the video call to make sure everything works properly.)

¡Enciendan sus teléfonos celulares! Es hora de tomar una selfie de grupo. (Turn on your cell phones! It’s time to take a group selfie.)

Oye, enciende la radio. Quiero escuchar mi canción favorita. (Hey, turn on the radio. I want to listen to my favorite song.)

Antes de comenzar la clase, encienda la pizarra interactiva, por favor. (Before starting the class, please turn on the interactive whiteboard.)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Encender (to turn on) in the Imperative Mood (Affirmative Commands) tense (Latin American Spanish) with English Translations:

This post covers Latin American Spanish. For Castilian Spanish, click here

Synonyms

The Imperative mood is also known as the Command Form, Affirmative Command Mood, or Direct Command Form in English, and as Modo Imperativo, Imperativo Afirmativo, Mandatos Afirmativos, or Forma de Mandato in Spanish.