How to Say "alarming" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “alarming” is “alarmante” — use 'alarmante' when the situation directly causes fear or a strong sense of danger, akin to a literal alarm being raised..
alarmante
/ah-lar-MAHN-teh//alaɾˈmante/
Examples
El aumento de la temperatura global es alarmante.
The rise in global temperature is alarming.
Las noticias de hoy son alarmantes.
Today's news is alarming.
Hay un aumento alarmante de la contaminación en la ciudad.
There is an alarming increase in pollution in the city.
La falta de agua ha llegado a un nivel alarmante.
The lack of water has reached an alarming level.
One word for both genders
This word ends in -e, which means it doesn't change for 'boy' or 'girl' words. You can say 'un dato alarmante' or 'una noticia alarmante' without changing the ending.
Adding emphasis with position
In Spanish, putting this word after the noun (like 'situación alarmante') makes it sound more objective and factual, which is how it's used most often.
Gender confusion
Mistake: “La situación es alarmanta.”
Correction: La situación es alarmante. (Words ending in -e are neutral and don't change to -a for feminine nouns.)
preocupante
/preh-oh-koo-PAHN-teh//pɾeokuˈpante/
Examples
La situación económica del país es muy preocupante.
The country's economic situation is very worrying.
La falta de lluvia es muy preocupante.
The lack of rain is very worrying.
Es preocupante que el nivel del mar siga subiendo.
It is concerning that the sea level continues to rise.
Los médicos dicen que sus síntomas no son preocupantes.
The doctors say that his symptoms are not alarming.
A Word for Everyone
This word doesn't care if the thing it describes is masculine (like 'un problema') or feminine (like 'una situación'). It always stays as 'preocupante'.
The 'Feelings' Connection
When you start a sentence with 'Es preocupante que...' (It's worrying that...), the verb that follows needs to change its form to a 'special version' used for feelings. For example: 'Es preocupante que él no ESTÉ aquí' (It's worrying that he isn't here).
Feeling Worried vs. Being Worrying
Mistake: “Estoy preocupante.”
Correction: Say 'Estoy preocupado' if you are the one feeling the worry. Use 'preocupante' only for the things that *cause* you to worry, like 'El examen es preocupante'.
Alarmante vs. Preocupante
Related Translations
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