encierro

confinement

noun en-SYEH-rroh Rare

Also means

bull-pen

Usage Note

Encierro has two very distinct uses: it means confinement or lockdown in general (including the COVID encierro), and it specifically refers to the running of the bulls (el encierro de San Fermín in Pamplona) where bulls are driven through the streets into the bullring. The context always disambiguates. The verb is encerrar (to lock in, to confine).

Examples

"El encierro de Pamplona atrae a miles de turistas."

Natural Translation

The bull run in Pamplona attracts thousands of tourists.

Free starter pack

Building your Spanish vocabulary?

Get the 100 most common Spanish words as a free PDF — one email, no spam.

Related Words

Explore Spanish by topic

SpanishNow

Mexican Spanish Slang Every Traveler Should Know

Mexican Spanish slang decoded for travelers: what güey, mande, órale, and ahorita really mean, who you can safely say them to, and how rude each one is.

June 9, 2026 6 min read

SpanishNow

Spanish Diminutives: What -ito and -ita Really Mean

Spanish diminutives rarely mean 'little.' Learn what -ito and -ita really signal — warmth, softening, downplaying — plus the -cito and -ecito formation rules.

June 9, 2026 6 min read

SpanishNow

Spanish Subjunctive Explained Simply for Beginners

The Spanish subjunctive is a mood, not a tense — use it after a WEIRDO trigger plus que. Learn the one rule, the yo-form recipe, and the lines you already say.

June 9, 2026 5 min read

SpanishNow

How to Memorize Spanish Vocabulary Fast (That Sticks)

Memorize Spanish vocabulary fast with a 15-minute daily loop: spaced repetition, frequency-first words, and example-sentence cards that actually stick.

June 9, 2026 6 min read