temblar

tem-BLAHRtemˈblaɾ

“temblar” means “to shiver” in Spanish (due to cold).

to shiver, to tremble

Also: to quake

VerbA2stem-changing (e to ie) ar

General

A small child wrapped in a thick blue blanket, shivering with visible quivering lines, standing in a snowy landscape.

gerundtemblando

past Participletemblado

infinitivetemblar

📝 In Action

Hace tanto frío que no puedo dejar de temblar.

It's so cold that I can't stop shivering.

Le temblaban las manos al abrir la carta.

His hands were trembling as he opened the letter.

Sentí la tierra temblar durante unos segundos.

I felt the ground quake for a few seconds.

Word Connections

Synonyms

tiritar (to shiver (specifically from cold))
estremecerse (to shudder)

Antonyms

calmarse (to calm down)
quietarse (to become still)

Common Collocations

temblar de miedo – to tremble with fear
temblar de frío – to shiver with cold
hacer temblar – to shake someone up / to make someone tremble

Idioms & Expressions

temblar como un flan – to shake like a leaf/jelly

Subjunctive

Imperfect Subjunctive

yotemblara

tútemblaras

él/ella/ustedtemblara

nosotrostembláramos

vosotrostemblarais

ellos/ellas/ustedestemblaran

Present Subjunctive

yotiemble

tútiembles

él/ella/ustedtiemble

nosotrostemblemos

vosotrostembléis

ellos/ellas/ustedestiemblen

Indicative

Preterite

yotemblé

tútemblaste

él/ella/ustedtembló

nosotrostemblamos

vosotrostemblasteis

ellos/ellas/ustedestemblaron

Imperfect

yotemblaba

tútemblabas

él/ella/ustedtemblaba

nosotrostemblábamos

vosotrostemblabais

ellos/ellas/ustedestemblaban

Present

yotiemblo

tútiemblas

él/ella/ustedtiembla

nosotrostemblamos

vosotrostembláis

ellos/ellas/ustedestiemblan

View All Tenses & Moods →

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "temblar" in Spanish:

to quake→to shiver→to tremble→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: temblar

Question 1 of 3

How do you say 'I am shivering' in Spanish?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼

temblor(tremor / earthquake) — Noun

tembloroso(trembling / shaky) — Adjective

retemblar(to shake violently) — Verb

🎵 Rhymes▼

hablar mirar

📚 Etymology▼

Derived from the Latin word 'tremulare', which also gave us the English word 'tremble'.

First recorded: 13th century

Cognates (Related words)

French: tremblerEnglish: tremble

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between 'temblar' and 'tiritar'?

'Temblar' is general (fear, cold, earthquake), while 'tiritar' specifically means shivering from cold or fever, often with chattering teeth.

Can I use 'temblar' for an earthquake?

Yes! While the noun is usually 'terremoto', the verb 'temblar' or the noun 'temblor' are very common ways to describe the earth shaking.

Is 'temblar' irregular in the past tense?

No. In the past (Preterite), it follows the regular rules for '-ar' verbs: temblé, temblaste, tembló, etc.