A small, distressed child being comforted by a friendly adult, with a dark cloud of worry floating harmlessly away into the sky.

preocupes

/preh-oh-KOO-pehs/

VerbA1pronominal ar

(don't) worry?used to tell a friend not to do something (negative command)

Also:you worry?used after phrases expressing wishes, doubts, or emotions (e.g., 'I hope that...')

Quick Reference

infinitivepreocuparse

gerundpreocupándose

past Participlepreocupado

📝 In Action

No te preocupes, todo va a estar bien.

Don't worry, everything is going to be okay.

Espero que no te preocupes demasiado por el examen.

I hope you don't worry too much about the exam.

Dime la verdad para que no te preocupes más.

Tell me the truth so you don't worry anymore.

Word Connections

Synonyms

inquietarse (to get uneasy)
angustiarse (to get anxious)

Antonyms

tranquilizarse (to calm down)
relajarse (to relax)

Common Collocations

No te preocupes por eso. – Don't worry about that.
Es normal que te preocupes. – It's normal for you to worry.

💡 Grammar Points

Two Main Jobs: Commands and Wishes

You'll see 'preocupes' in two main situations. First, to tell a friend 'Don't worry!' (No te preocupes). Second, after phrases that express wishes, doubts, or emotions, like 'I hope that...' (Espero que no te preocupes).

The 'te' Part

'Preocupes' comes from the verb preocuparse. The se at the end means the action reflects back on the person. The te in no te preocupes means 'yourself'. So it's literally 'Don't worry yourself'.

❌ Common Pitfalls

Using 'preocupas' for a negative command

Mistake: "No te preocupas."

Correction: No te preocupes. To tell a friend *not* to do something, Spanish uses a special verb form. For 'tú', this form often ends in '-es' for verbs that end in '-ar'.

⭐ Usage Tips

A Reassuring Phrase

'No te preocupes' is a perfect, friendly way to reassure someone. It's used just like 'Don't worry' or 'No problem' in English.

🔄 Conjugations

indicative

present

yome preocupo

túte preocupas

él/ella/ustedse preocupa

nosotrosnos preocupamos

vosotrosos preocupáis

ellos/ellas/ustedesse preocupan

preterite

yome preocupé

túte preocupaste

él/ella/ustedse preocupó

nosotrosnos preocupamos

vosotrosos preocupasteis

ellos/ellas/ustedesse preocuparon

imperfect

yome preocupaba

túte preocupabas

él/ella/ustedse preocupaba

nosotrosnos preocupábamos

vosotrosos preocupabais

ellos/ellas/ustedesse preocupaban

subjunctive

present

yome preocupe

túte preocupes

él/ella/ustedse preocupe

nosotrosnos preocupemos

vosotrosos preocupéis

ellos/ellas/ustedesse preocupen

imperfect

yome preocupara

túte preocuparas

él/ella/ustedse preocupara

nosotrosnos preocupáramos

vosotrosos preocuparais

ellos/ellas/ustedesse preocuparan

View All Tenses & Moods →

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: preocupes

Question 1 of 2

Which sentence correctly tells a friend not to worry?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

preocupación(worry, concern) - noun

preocupado/a(worried) - adjective

preocupante(worrying, concerning) - adjective

preocuparse(to worry) - verb

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between 'No te preocupes' and 'No se preocupe'?

Both mean 'Don't worry,' but they show different levels of formality. 'No te preocupes' is informal and friendly, used with people you call 'tú'. 'No se preocupe' is formal, used with people you call 'usted', like a stranger, an older person, or a boss.

Why is it 'preocupes' and not 'preocupas' in a sentence like 'Espero que no te preocupes'?

In Spanish, after words that express hopes, doubts, or emotions (like 'espero que...', meaning 'I hope that...'), you need to switch to a special verb mood called the subjunctive. It signals that what you're talking about isn't a sure fact. For the verb 'preocuparse', the 'tú' form in this mood is 'preocupes'.