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molestarte

mo-les-TAR-teh/molesˈtaɾte/

to bother you, to disturb you

Also: to inconvenience you
VerbA2regular ar
A large, sleepy brown bear trying to rest while a small blue bird pecks persistently at its shoulder, causing visible irritation and a frown on the bear's face.
infinitivemolestar
gerundmolestando
past Participlemolestado

📝 In Action

Solo quería llamarte para saber si te iba a molestarte.

A2

I just wanted to call you to see if it was going to bother you.

No quiero molestarte con mis problemas ahora.

A2

I don't want to bother you with my problems right now.

Debo molestarte por un minuto para hacerte una pregunta.

B1

I must bother you for a minute to ask you a question.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • fastidiarte (to annoy you)
  • interrumpirte (to interrupt you)

Common Collocations

  • No es mi intención molestarte. – It is not my intention to bother you.

to get annoyed, to take offense

Also: to put yourself out
VerbB1regular ar
A person sitting alone on a wooden bench with their arms crossed and a deep frown, indicating internal frustration. A small, faint purple cloud hovers directly above their head.
infinitivemolestarse
gerundmolestándose
past Participlemolestado

📝 In Action

No tienes por qué molestarte por un comentario tan tonto.

B1

You don't have to get annoyed by such a silly comment.

No debes molestarte en limpiar, ya lo hice yo.

B2

You shouldn't bother cleaning (put yourself out), I already did it.

Es fácil molestarte cuando estás cansado.

B1

It's easy for you to get annoyed when you are tired.

🔄 Conjugations

indicative

present

él/ella/ustedmolesta
yomolesto
túmolestas
ellos/ellas/ustedesmolestan
nosotrosmolestamos
vosotrosmolestáis

imperfect

él/ella/ustedmolestaba
yomolestaba
túmolestabas
ellos/ellas/ustedesmolestaban
nosotrosmolestábamos
vosotrosmolestabais

preterite

él/ella/ustedmolestó
yomolesté
túmolestaste
ellos/ellas/ustedesmolestaron
nosotrosmolestamos
vosotrosmolestasteis

subjunctive

present

él/ella/ustedmoleste
yomoleste
túmolestes
ellos/ellas/ustedesmolesten
nosotrosmolestemos
vosotrosmolestéis

imperfect

él/ella/ustedmolestara
yomolestara
túmolestaras
ellos/ellas/ustedesmolestaran
nosotrosmolestáramos
vosotrosmolestarais
View All Tenses & Moods →

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: molestarte

Question 1 of 2

Which sentence uses 'molestarte' to mean 'to take offense' (reflexive)?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
🎵 Rhymes▼
despertartelevantarte
📚 Etymology▼

The word comes from the Latin verb *molestāre*, meaning 'to trouble,' 'to disturb,' or 'to vex.' It has kept this core meaning throughout its evolution into Spanish.

First recorded: Around the 13th century in Spanish.

Cognates (Related words)

Portuguese: molestarItalian: molestare

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why is the 'te' attached to the end of the verb?

The 'te' is attached because the verb is in its infinitive form (the base form, 'molestar'). When an infinitive follows another conjugated verb (like 'quiero' or 'voy a'), the object pronoun can either be attached to the end or placed before the first verb.

Is 'molestarte' always used informally (with 'tú')?

Yes. The 'te' specifically refers to the informal 'you' (tú). If you were speaking formally, you would use 'molestarle' (to bother him/her/you formal) or 'molestarse' (to get annoyed/you formal).