asustó
“asustó” means “scared” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
scared, frightened
Also: gave a fright
📝 In Action
El trueno asustó al bebé y empezó a llorar.
A2The thunder scared the baby, and it started crying.
Mi hermano me asustó por detrás cuando entré en la habitación.
B1My brother scared me from behind when I entered the room.
Usted asustó a todos con esa broma tan pesada.
B1You (formal) scared everyone with that heavy joke.
got scared, was startled
Also: took fright
📝 In Action
Se asustó cuando vio su propio reflejo en la oscuridad.
B1He/She got scared when he/she saw his/her own reflection in the dark.
Ella se asustó mucho al ver la película de terror.
B1She got very frightened watching the horror movie.
Usted se asustó cuando el coche frenó de golpe.
B2You (formal) were startled when the car suddenly braked.
🔄 Conjugations
subjunctive
imperfect
present
indicative
imperfect
present
preterite
Translate to Spanish
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: asustó
Question 1 of 2
If your friend suddenly jumped out from behind a door, which sentence best describes what happened using 'asustó'?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
The word comes from the combination of the prefix 'a-' (indicating movement toward) and 'susto,' which itself comes from the Latin *subitus*, meaning 'sudden' or 'unexpected.' So, it literally means 'to cause a sudden fright.'
First recorded: 15th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why does 'asustó' have an accent mark on the 'o'?
The accent mark indicates that the stress falls on the last syllable ('tó'). This is standard for the third-person singular of the simple past tense (preterite) for all regular -ar verbs in Spanish.
When would I use 'asustó' versus 'asustaba'?
You use 'asustó' (preterite) for a single, completed action in the past (e.g., 'The dog barked once and scared him'). You use 'asustaba' (imperfect) for ongoing or habitual actions in the past (e.g., 'The old house always scared him').