enamorarse de
verbCEFR B1
What does “enamorarse de” mean in English?
to fall in love with
to fall in love with (enamorarse de + person; reflexive; process verb — describes transition into state; contrast with estar enamorado de = to be in love with)
Example sentences
Se enamoró de ella sin darse cuenta, de forma tan gradual que cuando por fin lo admitió llevaba meses sintiendo algo que no había sabido nombrar.
He fell in love with her without realising it, so gradually that when he finally admitted it he had been feeling something for months that he hadn't been able to name.
¿Cómo fue que os enamorasteis? ¿Fue algo inmediato o tardasteis en daros cuenta de lo que sentíais el uno por el otro?
How did you fall in love? Was it immediate or did it take you a while to realise what you felt for each other?
Es fácil enamorarse de alguien en vacaciones, pero lo difícil es mantener esa ilusión cuando la vida cotidiana vuelve a la normalidad.
It is easy to fall in love with someone on holiday, but the hard thing is maintaining that excitement when everyday life returns to normal.
How to use it
Enamorarse de means 'to fall in love with'. The reflexive marker se is obligatory and the preposition de introduces the person fallen in love with — it cannot be omitted or replaced. This is a process verb (describes the transition into the state), which is distinct from the resulting state: estar enamorado/a de alguien (to be in love with someone). The process verb enamorarse is typically punctual or gradual in the past or a habitual statement; the state verb estar enamorado describes a current condition. Both take de.
Common mistake
The preposition de is obligatory and cannot be dropped: 'enamorarse de alguien', never '*enamorarse alguien'. The process (enamorarse) vs state (estar enamorado) distinction matters: 'me enamoré de ella' = I fell in love with her (event); 'estoy enamorado de ella' = I am in love with her (current state).