encendió

Encendió is a verb form in Spanish. It is the third-person singular pretérito perfecto simple (preterite) of encender, meaning to light, ignite, or turn on something. It denotes a completed action in the past and is commonly used in narrative or descriptive contexts.

Etymology: Encender derives from the verb encender, whose origin is linked to Latin incéndere, with the prefix en- reinforcing the action. The development from Latin into early Romance Spanish produced encender, and the form encendió appeared as the natural past tense in medieval and modern usage.

Conjugation and usage: Encender is a regular -er verb in the preterite, yielding encendí, encendiste, encendió, encendimos, encendisteis, encendieron. The form encendió specifically marks he, she, or you (formal) lit or turned on in the past. Encender covers both literal lighting (a candle, a fire) and turning on devices (la radio, la lámpara). It can also be used figuratively, as in encender la curiosidad o encender el interés, meaning to arouse or spark.

Examples: Ayer, Pedro encendió una vela. Cuando llegó la noche, encendió las luces. El motor encendió después de varios intentos. Eso encendió su curiosidad por la historia.

Translations and related terms: In English, encendió is typically translated as lit, ignited, or turned on, depending on context. Related verbs include prender, which is often used interchangeably for lighting or starting devices, though with nuanced uses in different dialects.