asusta
ah-SOOS-tah
Quick Reference
📝 In Action
Esa película de terror siempre me asusta mucho.
A2That horror movie always scares me a lot.
El ruido de la alarma asusta a todos los vecinos.
B1The noise of the alarm frightens all the neighbors.
Usted asusta a la gente cuando aparece de repente.
B2You scare people when you appear suddenly. (Formal)
💡 Grammar Points
The 'Gustar' Connection
Like gustar ('to like'), asustar is often used backward: the thing that does the frightening is the subject. We say 'Me asusta la araña' (The spider scares me), not 'Yo asusto la araña' (I scare the spider).
Dual Use: Present Tense or Command
'Asusta' is used for 'he/she/it scares' (present tense) AND the informal command 'Scare!' ('¡Asusta a tu amigo!'). The context tells you which one it is.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Mixing up the feeling and the action
Mistake: "Estoy asusta (I am scare)."
Correction: Estoy asustado/a (I am scared). Use the past participle to describe the feeling, not the verb form 'asusta'.
⭐ Usage Tips
Active vs. Passive Fear
Use asusta when something actively causes fear (El rayo asusta = The lightning scares). Use tener miedo when someone is in a state of fear (Tengo miedo = I have fear/I am afraid).
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: asusta
Question 1 of 1
Which sentence correctly uses 'asusta' to mean 'The dark frightens me'?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between 'asusta' and 'tiene miedo'?
'Asusta' is an action; it means something *is doing* the frightening (The ghost asusta). 'Tiene miedo' describes a state of being; it means someone *is* afraid (She tiene miedo). They are not interchangeable.
If I want to say 'Don't scare him,' do I use 'asusta'?
No. 'Asusta' is the positive command ('Scare him!'). For the negative command ('Don't scare him!'), you must use the subjunctive form: 'No lo asustes'.