preocuparte

preh-oh-koo-PAHR-teh/pɾeo̯kuˈpaɾte/

“preocuparte” means “to worry (yourself)” in Spanish (informal command or advice).

to worry (yourself), to be concerned

Also: to get stressed

VerbA2regular ar

Mexico

A simple illustration of a young person sitting alone, hunched over with their knees up, holding their head. Their facial expression shows clear anxiety and worry.

infinitivepreocuparse

gerundpreocupándose

past Participlepreocupado

📝 In Action

No tienes que preocuparte por eso.

You don't have to worry about that.

Intenta no preocuparte tanto por el futuro.

Try not to worry so much about the future.

Antes de preocuparte, revisa si el problema es real.

Before worrying, check if the problem is real.

Word Connections

Synonyms

inquietarte (to feel uneasy)
angustiarte (to distress yourself)

Antonyms

calmarte (to calm yourself)
relajarte (to relax yourself)

Common Collocations

No hay de qué preocuparte – There's nothing to worry about
Empezar a preocuparte – To start worrying

Idioms & Expressions

Quitarse un peso de encima – To stop worrying about something (literally: to take a weight off your shoulders)

🔄 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/preocupase

yome preocupara/preocupase

túte preocuparas/preocupases

ellos/ellas/ustedesse preocuparan/preocupasen

nosotrosnos preocupáramos/preocupásemos

vosotrosos preocuparais/preocupaseis

View All Tenses & Moods →

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: preocuparte

Question 1 of 1

Which sentence correctly uses 'preocuparte' as advice?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼

preocupación(worry, concern (noun)) — Noun

preocupado(worried, concerned (adjective)) — Adjective

preocupar(to worry (someone else)) — Verb

🎵 Rhymes▼

salvartecansarte

📚 Etymology▼

It comes from the Latin verb *praeoccupare*, meaning 'to take possession of beforehand' or 'to seize first.' This evolved in Spanish to mean 'to occupy one's mind' with something, leading directly to the meaning of 'to worry.'

First recorded: 15th century

Cognates (Related words)

English: preoccupyPortuguese: preocupar

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between 'preocupar' and 'preocuparse'?

'Preocupar' is transitive, meaning it needs an external receiver: 'El ruido me preocupa' (The noise worries *me*). 'Preocuparse' is reflexive, meaning the person doing the action is also receiving it: 'Me preocupo por el examen' (I worry *myself* about the test).