A colorful storybook illustration showing a young person sitting alone on a simple bench, hunched over with their hands covering their face in a clear gesture of deep worry or concern.

preocupas

preh-oh-Koo-pahs

you worry?as in, 'you are concerned' (most common use is reflexive: te preocupas),you are worrying?present continuous action

Also:you concern?you cause concern (transitive use)

Quick Reference

infinitivepreocupar

gerundpreocupando

past Participlepreocupado

📝 In Action

¿Por qué te preocupas tanto por el examen?

Why do you worry so much about the exam?

Tú nunca te preocupas por nada, ¡qué suerte!

You never worry about anything, how lucky!

Si tú preocupas a tus padres, ellos no dormirán bien.

If you worry your parents (cause them worry), they won't sleep well.

Word Connections

Synonyms

inquietas (you make restless)
afliges (you distress)

Antonyms

calmas (you calm)
relajas (you relax)

Common Collocations

te preocupas por – you worry about
no te preocupas – you don't worry

💡 Grammar Points

The Reflexive Rule

When you are the one feeling the worry, you must use the little word 'te' before the verb: 'Te preocupas'. This means the action loops back to the person doing it.

Worrying Someone Else

If you are causing worry in another person, you drop the 'te': 'Tú preocupas a tu hermano' (You worry your brother). The verb is now acting directly on someone else.

❌ Common Pitfalls

Forgetting the 'te'

Mistake: "Tú preocupas mucho."

Correction: Tú **te** preocupas mucho. (If you mean 'You worry a lot.' Without 'te', it incorrectly means 'You worry [someone else] a lot.')

⭐ Usage Tips

The 'Don't worry' phrase

The most common way to tell a friend to stop worrying uses the negative command form: 'No te preocupes'. This is an essential phrase for daily conversation.

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: preocupas

Question 1 of 2

Which sentence correctly translates 'You are worried about the test'?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

preocupación(worry, concern) - noun

preocupado/a(worried, concerned) - adjective

preocupar(to worry (infinitive verb)) - verb

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I tell someone using 'tú' to stop worrying?

You use the negative command form of the reflexive verb: 'No te preocupes'.

Is 'preocupas' a regular or irregular verb?

It is a regular -AR verb, meaning its endings follow the standard pattern without any tricky stem changes or unexpected spelling variations.