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preocuparte

preh-oh-koo-PAHR-tehpɾeo̯kuˈpaɾte

“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.

A2

You don't have to worry about that.

Intenta no preocuparte tanto por el futuro.

B1

Try not to worry so much about the future.

Antes de preocuparte, revisa si el problema es real.

B2

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)

Indicative

Present

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

Imperfect

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

Preterite

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

Subjunctive

Present Subjunctive

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

Imperfect Subjunctive

yome preocupara/preocupase
túte preocuparas/preocupases
él/ella/ustedse preocupara/preocupase
nosotrosnos preocupáramos/preocupásemos
vosotrosos preocuparais/preocupaseis
ellos/ellas/ustedesse preocuparan/preocupasen
View All Tenses & Moods →

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: preocuparte

Question 1 of 1

Which sentence correctly uses 'preocuparte' as advice?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
🎵 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).