A high quality simple colorful storybook illustration of a single small blue creature sitting huddled on the floor, resting its head in its hands, with a clear expression of distress and worry.

preocuparme

preh-oh-koo-PAHR-meh

VerbA2regular (reflexive) ar

to worry (myself)?expressing personal concern,to be concerned?expressing anxiety or care

Also:to fret?informal

Quick Reference

infinitivepreocuparse

gerundpreocupándose

past Participlepreocupado/a

📝 In Action

No quiero preocuparme por cosas pequeñas.

I don't want to worry about small things.

Empecé a preocuparme cuando no contestó el teléfono.

I started to worry when he didn't answer the phone.

Es difícil no preocuparme por el futuro.

It's difficult not to be concerned about the future.

Word Connections

Synonyms

inquietarme (to disturb/unsettle myself)
angustiarme (to distress myself)

Antonyms

relajarme (to relax myself)
tranquilizarme (to calm myself)

Common Collocations

dejar de preocuparme – to stop worrying
empezar a preocuparme – to start worrying

💡 Grammar Points

The Reflexive 'Me'

The 'me' attached to the end means 'myself.' This verb form is used when the person doing the worrying is also the person affected by the worry. This is how Spanish expresses 'to worry' generally.

Attaching the Pronoun

When you use the infinitive form (the '-ar,' '-er,' or '-ir' base form), the small pronoun (me, te, se, nos, os) must attach to the end, forming one word: 'preocupar' + 'me' = 'preocuparme'.

Placement Rule

This form ('preocuparme') is used after another conjugated verb, like 'Necesito preocuparme' (I need to worry) or 'Intenta preocuparme' (He tries to worry me).

❌ Common Pitfalls

Forgetting the Pronoun

Mistake: "No puedo preocupar."

Correction: No puedo preocuparme. (The verb 'to worry' is almost always reflexive in Spanish, meaning it needs the pronoun.)

Separating the Pronoun

Mistake: "Me voy a preocupar."

Correction: Voy a preocuparme. (While 'Me voy a preocupar' is also correct, attaching the pronoun to the infinitive, 'Voy a preocuparme,' is a common and natural alternative.)

⭐ Usage Tips

Worrying ABOUT Something

To say you worry about something, you almost always use the preposition 'por': 'Preocuparme por el examen' (To worry about the exam).

🔄 Conjugations

indicative

present

él/ella/ustedse preocupa

yome preocupo

túte preocupas

ellos/ellas/ustedesse preocupan

nosotrosnos preocupamos

vosotrosos preocupáis

imperfect

él/ella/ustedse preocupaba

yome preocupaba

túte preocupabas

ellos/ellas/ustedesse preocupaban

nosotrosnos preocupábamos

vosotrosos preocupabais

preterite

él/ella/ustedse preocupó

yome preocupé

túte preocupaste

ellos/ellas/ustedesse preocuparon

nosotrosnos preocupamos

vosotrosos preocupasteis

subjunctive

present

él/ella/ustedse preocupe

yome preocupe

túte preocupes

ellos/ellas/ustedesse preocupen

nosotrosnos preocupemos

vosotrosos preocupéis

imperfect

él/ella/ustedse preocupara

yome preocupara

túte preocuparas

ellos/ellas/ustedesse preocuparan

nosotrosnos preocupáramos

vosotrosos preocuparais

View All Tenses & Moods →

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: preocuparme

Question 1 of 2

Which sentence correctly uses 'preocuparme'?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

preocupación(worry, concern (noun)) - noun

preocupado/a(worried, concerned (adjective)) - adjective

preocupar(to cause worry (non-reflexive verb)) - verb

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is the accent mark missing on 'preocuparme'?

When attaching a pronoun (like 'me,' 'te,' or 'se') to a standard infinitive verb, you typically do not need an accent mark, unlike when attaching pronouns to an imperative (command) form, such as 'Preocúpate' (Worry!).

If I want to tell someone 'Don't worry,' what form should I use?

You should use the negative imperative form with the 'tú' pronoun, which is 'No te preocupes.' This is a command, so the verb is conjugated.