Inklingo

preocuparme

preh-oh-koo-PAHR-meh/pɾeokuˈpaɾme/

preocuparme means to worry (myself) in Spanish (expressing personal concern).

to worry (myself), to be concerned

Also: to fret
VerbA2regular (reflexive) ar
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.
infinitivepreocuparse
gerundpreocupándose
past Participlepreocupado/a

📝 In Action

No quiero preocuparme por cosas pequeñas.

A2

I don't want to worry about small things.

Empecé a preocuparme cuando no contestó el teléfono.

B1

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

Es difícil no preocuparme por el futuro.

B2

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 preocuparmeto stop worrying
  • empezar a preocuparmeto start worrying

🔄 Conjugations

indicative

present

él/ella/ustedse preocupa
yome preocupo
te preocupas
ellos/ellas/ustedesse preocupan
nosotrosnos preocupamos
vosotrosos preocupáis

imperfect

él/ella/ustedse preocupaba
yome preocupaba
te preocupabas
ellos/ellas/ustedesse preocupaban
nosotrosnos preocupábamos
vosotrosos preocupabais

preterite

él/ella/ustedse preocupó
yome preocupé
te preocupaste
ellos/ellas/ustedesse preocuparon
nosotrosnos preocupamos
vosotrosos preocupasteis

subjunctive

present

él/ella/ustedse preocupe
yome preocupe
te preocupes
ellos/ellas/ustedesse preocupen
nosotrosnos preocupemos
vosotrosos preocupéis

imperfect

él/ella/ustedse preocupara
yome preocupara
te preocuparas
ellos/ellas/ustedesse preocuparan
nosotrosnos preocupáramos
vosotrosos preocuparais

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "preocuparme" in Spanish:

to fret

✏️ 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
🎵 Rhymes
calmarmeayudarme
📚 Etymology

Comes from the Latin verb *praeoccupare*, meaning 'to take possession of beforehand' or 'to seize first.' This evolved in Spanish to mean 'to occupy the mind,' leading to the modern sense of 'to worry' or 'to be concerned.'

First recorded: 15th century (in its modern Spanish form)

Cognates (Related words)

English: preoccupyFrench: préoccuper

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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.