asustar
“asustar” means “to scare” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
to scare
Also: to frighten, to startle
📝 In Action
No me asustes así.
A1Don't scare me like that.
El ruido asustó al gato.
A1The noise scared the cat.
Ese perro asusta a los niños.
A2That dog scares the children.
to get scared
Also: to be frightened
📝 In Action
Me asusté cuando se apagó la luz.
A1I got scared when the light went out.
Ellos se asustan con las películas de terror.
A2They get scared with horror movies.
🔄 Conjugations
subjunctive
present
imperfect
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
🔀 Commonly Confused With
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✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: asustar
Question 1 of 1
How do you say 'I got scared'?
📚 More Resources
📚 Etymology▼
Comes from the Latin word 'substare', which meant to stand still or stop. When you are very scared, you often freeze or stop in your tracks!
First recorded: 13th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between 'asustar' and 'espantar'?
They are very similar! 'Asustar' is the general word for scaring. 'Espantar' often implies scaring something away, like scaring birds out of a garden.