enfría

Enfría is a conjugated form of the Spanish verb enfriar, meaning to cool down or to chill. It most commonly appears as the third-person singular present indicative: él enfría, meaning “he cools.” It can also serve as the informal affirmative tú command in some constructions, where it corresponds to the imperative form “enfría,” used to tell someone to cool something.

The verb enfriar is transitive and in many contexts describes lowering the temperature of an object, substance, or system. It is widely used in cooking, science, technology, and everyday speech. Reflexive or intransitive use occurs with enfriarse, which describes something or someone cooling down or becoming colder, as in “la sopa se enfría” or “el metal se enfría al contacto.”

Etymology: Enfriar derives from en- (a prefix meaning to bring into a state) plus frío (cold), with roots in Latin frigidus. The sense is to bring something into a colder state.

Usage notes: In cooking, common phrases include “deja enfriar la masa” or “enfriar la bebida.” In technical contexts, it may refer to cooling equipment or processes designed to reduce temperature to prevent overheating. The form enfría appears in present-tense constructions (él enfría) or, in some dialects, as the informal imperative (tú enfría).

See also: frío, enfriamiento, enfriar, enfriador.