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.

preocuparte

preh-oh-koo-PAHR-teh

verbA2regular ar

to worry (yourself)?informal command or advice,to be concerned?focusing on self-concern

Also:to get stressed?emotional reaction

Quick Reference

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)

💡 Grammar Points

Reflexive Action

The 'te' means 'yourself.' When you worry, the action comes back to you. The verb 'preocupar' without 'se' means 'to worry someone else.'

Placement of 'te'

When using the infinitive ('preocupar'), you must attach 'te' to the end, making one word: 'preocuparte'. This happens after modal verbs like 'deber' (should) or 'poder' (can).

❌ Common Pitfalls

Forgetting the 'se'

Mistake: "Yo preocupo mi trabajo."

Correction: Yo me preocupo por mi trabajo. ('Preocupar' usually needs the reflexive pronoun if you are the one feeling the worry.)

Incorrect Placement

Mistake: "Te puedo preocupar."

Correction: Puedo preocuparte. OR Te puedo preocupar. (Both are correct, but attaching it to the infinitive is often more natural when possible.)

⭐ Usage Tips

The Particle 'Por'

When saying what you are worrying about, use the preposition 'por': 'preocuparse por algo' (to worry about something).

🔄 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

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).