Vocabulary

Level: A1
Accent: 1 accent
Time: 15 min

Learn Spanish: Encender vs. Apagar for Turning On and Turning Off

By MicroSpanish editorial team Published 5 Nov 2026

The short answer

Use encender to activate light, start an appliance, power a screen, or light a flame. Use apagar to turn off electrical power, darken a room or monitor, or extinguish fire.

Key points

To brighten or activate a device, choose encender; to darken, power down, or stop a device, choose apagar.
In this lesson, encender uses an e-to-ie stem change in its everyday present forms (enciendo, enciendes, enciende, encienden; while encendemos keeps the regular stem).
Apagar follows regular -ar patterns across these same forms (apago, apagas, apaga, apagamos, apagan).

Start the lesson

This lesson has 5 stages. You can stop at any time and continue later.

Stage 1 of 5

Understand

What it means, when to use it, and mistakes to avoid.

Examples

Cuando empieza la clase virtual, enciendo la cámara web de mi computadora.

When the online class starts, I turn on my computer webcam.

Why it works: Starting video transmission requires encender for an electronic camera.

2 more examples

Antes de dormir en el hotel, apago todas las luces del dormitorio.

Before sleeping at the hotel, I turn off all the bedroom lights.

Switching off illumination to sleep uses apagar.
Si el salón está oscuro, encendemos la lámpara de pie para leer.

If the living room is dark, we turn on the floor lamp to read.

Encendemos shows the regular nosotros form bringing light to a dark room.

Read the full guide

8 short steps, one check each

Turning on and turning off room lights

Beginners often wonder whether lamps and ceiling lights use verbs for opening and closing or verbs for electrical power.

The problem: Beginners often wonder whether lamps and ceiling lights use verbs for opening and closing or verbs for electrical power.

When managing room lighting, use encender to switch on a lamp or ceiling light when entering a dark room, and apagar to switch it off when leaving. While many regions naturally use prender, practical Spanish focuses on encender and apagar rather than using abrir or cerrar for electric lights.

Enciendo la lámpara pequeña cuando leo en la sala.

I turn on the small lamp when I read in the living room.

Why it works: The speaker needs light to read, so encender is used for the desk or table lamp.
Apagas la luz del pasillo antes de salir de casa.

You turn off the hallway light before leaving the house.

Why it works: The hallway light is being switched off to avoid wasting electricity.

Your turn

You are entering a dark kitchen at night. Choose the sentence where you turn on the overhead light.

Show the answer

Answer: Enciendo la luz de la cocina.

Because the kitchen is dark and you need illumination, encender is the correct verb.

Handling the stem change in encender

Learners sometimes forget that the stem vowel e changes to ie in most present-tense forms of encender.

The problem: Learners sometimes forget that the stem vowel e changes to ie in most present-tense forms of encender.

Encender changes its stem vowel in most present-tense forms: yo enciendo, tú enciendes, usted/él/ella enciende, and ellos/ellas/ustedes encienden. In contrast, the nosotros form stays regular with encendemos.

Mi hermano enciende el ventilador porque hace calor.

My brother turns on the fan because it is hot.

Why it works: The singular third-person subject triggers the stem-changed form enciende.
Nosotros encendemos la estufa para preparar el té.

We turn on the stove to prepare tea.

Why it works: The nosotros form keeps the regular stem vowel e without changing to ie.

You can practise this again in Learn Spanish: antes vs. después for earlier and later time and Learn Spanish: De Acuerdo vs. Vale for Agreement and Acceptance.

Your turn

Choose the sentence describing two roommates turning on the heating together.

Show the answer

Answer: Ellos encienden la calefacción en la sala.

The third-person plural subject requires the stem-changed form encienden.

Conjugating regular apagar in the present tense

Learners might expect apagar to change stems like encender, but apagar follows standard -ar patterns.

The problem: Learners might expect apagar to change stems like encender, but apagar follows standard -ar patterns.

In the everyday present-tense forms practiced in this course, apagar keeps its stem unchanged: apago, apagas, apaga, apagamos, and apagan. Use it whenever an action ends the operation of a device.

Siempre apago el monitor antes de acostarme.

I always turn off the monitor before going to bed.

Why it works: Apago is the regular first-person present form indicating shutting down a screen.
Ustedes apagan los altavoces durante la reunión.

You turn off the speakers during the meeting.

Why it works: Apagan is the regular plural present form for powering off audio equipment.

Your turn

Choose the statement where you tell a friend that you turn off the radio in your bedroom.

Show the answer

Answer: Yo apago la radio de mi dormitorio.

Apagar is regular in the present tense, so yo takes apago without any stem modification.

Asking questions and giving polite prompts with encender and apagar

Learners often know how to state what they do, but hesitate when asking whether someone wants a device or light turned on or off.

The problem: Learners often know how to state what they do, but hesitate when asking whether someone wants a device or light turned on or off.

To check what someone prefers, use regular question patterns with ¿encendemos...? or ¿apago...? without extra auxiliary verbs. In everyday Spanish, asking ¿Enciendo la luz? offers to perform the action in a natural, polite way, while ¿Apagas el televisor? asks directly if someone will do it.

¿Enciendo la lámpara si está muy oscuro aquí?

Shall I turn on the lamp if it is very dark here?

Why it works: The first-person question form proposes switching on the lamp for someone else.
¿Apagas la pantalla antes de empezar la cena?

Will you turn off the screen before starting dinner?

Why it works: The second-person question asks a partner directly to switch off the screen.

Your turn

You are sitting with a friend in a dim room. How do you ask if you should turn on the overhead light?

Show the answer

Answer: ¿Enciendo la luz de la sala ahora?

The question form ¿Enciendo...? naturally proposes turning on the light, while abrir is not used for lighting.

Expressing purpose and timing with antes de and después de

Learners often struggle to link turning devices on or off to other actions in a sequence.

The problem: Learners often struggle to link turning devices on or off to other actions in a sequence.

To describe routines, connect encender or apagar to time markers like antes de (before) or después de (after). When both actions share the same subject, use the infinitive after the preposition: antes de salir (before leaving) or después de cocinar (after cooking).

Enciendo la estufa antes de calentar el almuerzo.

I turn on the stove before heating up lunch.

Why it works: The conjugated verb enciendo is linked with antes de followed by the infinitive calentar.
Apagamos el horno después de preparar la cena.

We turn off the oven after preparing dinner.

Why it works: The action of turning off the appliance is paired with después de and the infinitive preparar.

Your turn

Choose the sentence describing turning off an appliance after finishing your meal.

Show the answer

Answer: Apago la cafetera después de comer.

When an activity is finished, apagar switches off the appliance, connected naturally with después de.

Lighting and extinguishing candles or fires

Learners may not realize that non-electrical flames follow the exact same verbs as electric devices.

The problem: Learners may not realize that non-electrical flames follow the exact same verbs as electric devices.

Outside electrical circuits, encender expresses igniting an open flame such as a candle, match, or bonfire, while apagar means extinguishing or smothering it. Encender can mean lighting a flame as well as switching on a device.

Enciendo una vela aromática para descansar por la tarde.

I light an aromatic candle to relax in the afternoon.

Why it works: Encender is used for lighting the candle wick.
El viento apaga la fogata cerca del río.

The wind puts out the campfire near the river.

Why it works: Apagar indicates that the open fire is extinguished.

Your turn

It is someone's birthday and they blow out the decorative candle. Which sentence expresses this action?

Show the answer

Answer: Ella apaga la vela del pastel.

Blowing out or extinguishing a candle requires apagar.

Using direct object pronouns with encender and apagar

Once an item is established in conversation, repeating its full noun phrase sounds unnatural.

The problem: Once an item is established in conversation, repeating its full noun phrase sounds unnatural.

Replace previously mentioned items with lo, la, los, or las placed directly before the conjugated verb. For example, if you mentioned la lámpara, refer back to it with la enciendo or la apago.

Veo la lámpara de mesa y la enciendo enseguida.

I see the table lamp and I turn it on right away.

Why it works: The pronoun la replaces the feminine singular noun la lámpara.
El televisor hace ruido y nosotros lo apagamos.

The television is making noise and we turn it off.

Why it works: The pronoun lo replaces the masculine singular noun el televisor.

Your turn

Someone asks about the air conditioner (el aire acondicionado) because the room is cold. Choose the response where you turn it off.

Show the answer

Answer: Hace frío en la habitación, así que lo apago.

El aire acondicionado is masculine singular, requiring lo, and feeling cold requires turning it off with apago.

Contrasting electrical controls with physical barriers

English speakers frequently confuse open/close with turn on/turn off when speaking Spanish.

The problem: English speakers frequently confuse open/close with turn on/turn off when speaking Spanish.

Avoid saying abrir la luz or cerrar la radio. Physical items with hinges, lids, or pages take abrir and cerrar, whereas devices, appliances, and lamps use encender and apagar (or regional prender).

Abro la ventana de la cocina y apago el ventilador.

I open the kitchen window and turn off the fan.

Why it works: Abro operates the physical window, while apago powers down the electrical fan.
Cierro la puerta del cuarto y enciendo la luz principal.

I close the bedroom door and turn on the main light.

Why it works: Cierro moves the wooden door shut, while enciendo supplies electricity to the light.

Your turn

Which sentence correctly pairs a physical door with an electric desk lamp?

Show the answer

Answer: Cierro la puerta y enciendo la lámpara.

Doors are physical barriers that you cerrar, whereas lamps require encender for power.

Before you go

Remember this

To brighten or activate a device, choose encender; to darken, power down, or stop a device, choose apagar.

Stage 2 of 5