How to Say "concerns" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “concerns” is “preocupa” — use 'preocupa' when you want to say that something worries you or is a cause for concern for you personally..
preocupa
preh-oh-Koo-pah/pɾeoˈkupa/
Examples
Me preocupa que no haya comido nada hoy.
It worries me that she hasn't eaten anything today.
La crisis económica preocupa a muchas familias.
The economic crisis concerns many families.
Él siempre se preocupa demasiado por el trabajo.
He always worries too much about work.
Gustar-like Structure
When using 'preocupa' to mean 'It worries ME,' the word for 'it' is the subject, and the person worried is indicated by a pronoun like 'me,' 'te,' or 'nos.' (Example: 'Me preocupa la lluvia' - The rain worries me.)
Reflexive Use
To say a person 'worries' themselves, you must use the reflexive form 'preocuparse' and the appropriate pronoun: 'Él se preocupa' (He worries himself).
Using 'Por' Incorrectly
Mistake: “Me preocupa SOBRE el examen.”
Correction: Me preocupa EL examen (The exam worries me). If you use 'preocuparse' (the reflexive form), use 'por': 'Me preocupo POR el examen' (I worry about the exam).
afecta
ah-FEK-tah/aˈfekta/
Examples
La crisis económica afecta a toda la región.
The economic crisis affects the whole region.
Usted afecta mi concentración con tanto ruido.
You (formal) affect my concentration with so much noise.
¡Afeta! Es un mandamiento directo para que cambies esa actitud.
Affect it! (Used as a command to feign or adopt an attitude, though less common).
Using 'a' with People
When 'afectar' impacts a person or animal, Spanish usually requires the word 'a' right before the person: 'La noticia afecta a mi madre' (The news affects my mother).
Confusing Affect vs. Effect
Mistake: “Using 'efecta' (which is rare) instead of 'afecta' when meaning 'to influence.'”
Correction: Always use 'afecta' (from 'afectar') when talking about causing an influence or impact.
dudas
/DOO-das//ˈduðas/
Examples
Si tienes dudas, puedes preguntar a la profesora.
If you have questions, you can ask the teacher.
Ella tenía serias dudas sobre la honestidad del vendedor.
She had serious doubts about the honesty of the seller.
Using 'Tener'
In Spanish, you 'have doubts' (tener dudas), unlike English where we often 'are doubtful' or 'have doubts'.
Using 'Ser' instead of 'Tener'
Mistake: “Soy dudas.”
Correction: Tengo dudas. (You use the verb 'tener'—to have—to express this feeling.)
interesa
/een-teh-REH-sah//inteˈɾesa/
Examples
¿Te interesa la historia de Roma?
Does the history of Rome interest you? (Are you interested in it?)
A mi jefe solo le interesa el resultado final.
My boss is only interested in the final result.
Lo que realmente me interesa es viajar sin prisas.
What really interests me is traveling without rushing.
The Gustar Structure
When using 'interesa' to mean 'I am interested in X,' the verb 'interesa' must agree with X, not with the person. X is the subject. We use 'me,' 'te,' or 'le' to show who is interested.
Singular vs. Plural
Use 'interesa' when the thing that is interesting is one thing ('La música interesa'). Use 'interesan' when the things that are interesting are plural ('Los libros interesan').
Using the Subject Pronoun Incorrectly
Mistake: “Yo intereso la política. (Literal: I interest politics.)”
Correction: A mí me interesa la política. (Politics interests me / I am interested in politics.) Remember, the person is the receiver of the interest.
preocupaciones
preh-oh-koo-pah-SYOHN-ess/pɾeoku.paˈsjo.nes/
Examples
Tengo muchas preocupaciones sobre el futuro de mis hijos.
I have many worries about my children's future.
Las preocupaciones financieras lo mantienen despierto por la noche.
Financial concerns keep him awake at night.
Necesitas dejar tus preocupaciones en casa y disfrutar de las vacaciones.
You need to leave your troubles at home and enjoy the vacation.
Always Plural
This word is the plural form of 'preocupación' (worry). You use it when talking about multiple issues or a general state of stress.
Feminine Noun
Since this is a feminine noun, any descriptive words (adjectives) used with it must also be feminine and plural (e.g., 'grandes preocupaciones', not 'grandes preocupaciones').
Using the Singular Verb
Mistake: “Mis preocupaciones es grande.”
Correction: Mis preocupaciones son grandes. (The verb 'ser' must match the plural subject 'preocupaciones'.)
intereses
/in-te-RE-ses//in.teˈɾe.ses/
Examples
¿Cuáles son tus intereses fuera del trabajo?
What are your interests outside of work?
Tenemos muchos intereses en común, por eso somos buenos amigos.
We have many interests in common, that's why we are good friends.
Always Plural
When talking about hobbies, 'intereses' is always used in the plural, just like in English when you say 'my interests'.
Using the Singular for Multiple Hobbies
Mistake: “Mi interés son el deporte y la música.”
Correction: Mis intereses son el deporte y la música. (Use the plural noun and plural verb 'son' when listing more than one thing.)
concierne
kon-SYEHR-neh/konˈsjeɾne/
Examples
Esto concierne directamente a la política de la empresa.
This directly concerns the company's policy.
La nueva ley concierne a todos los ciudadanos.
The new law affects all citizens.
En lo que concierne al presupuesto, debemos ser cautelosos.
As far as the budget is concerned, we must be cautious.
A Defective Verb
The verb concernir (and thus 'concierne') is almost exclusively used in the third-person singular (concierne) or plural (conciernen). You will rarely see it used with 'yo,' 'tú,' or 'nosotros' in modern Spanish.
Structure: Concierne a + Object
When using 'concierne' to show who or what is affected, you must always include the preposition 'a' before the person or thing receiving the action (e.g., 'concierne a mi familia').
Confusing with Importar
Mistake: “Using 'concierne' when you mean 'it matters' or 'it is important.'”
Correction: Use 'concierne' only when something *relates to* or *involves* something else. For importance, use 'importa.' (e.g., 'Esto me importa' not 'Esto me concierne').
respecta
/rehs-PEHK-tah//resˈpekta/
Examples
En lo que respecta al presupuesto, no hay cambios.
As far as the budget is concerned, there are no changes.
Por lo que a mí respecta, el trato está cerrado.
As far as I'm concerned, the deal is closed.
Esta norma no respecta a los ciudadanos extranjeros.
This rule does not relate to foreign citizens.
Using fixed phrases
This word is almost always found in the phrase 'en lo que respecta a.' Use this when you want to shift the focus of a conversation to a specific topic.
The 'C' Confusion
Mistake: “Using 'respeta' instead of 'respecta' (or vice-versa).”
Correction: Use 'respeta' (no C) for showing admiration/honor. Use 'respecta' (with a C) for things that relate to a topic.
toca
/TOH-kah//ˈtoka/
Examples
Me toca pagar la cena esta noche.
It's my turn to pay for dinner tonight. (Literally: It touches me to pay)
A él no le toca decidir eso.
It's not up to him to decide that.
Esa canción no toca los temas que me interesan.
That song doesn't deal with the topics that interest me.
The 'Turn' Construction
When used to mean 'whose turn it is,' the sentence structure is similar to 'gustar.' You use an indirect object pronoun (me, te, le) followed by 'toca' to indicate who has the responsibility.
Using 'toca' instead of 'deber'
Mistake: “Using 'Toca estudiar' to mean 'I must study'.”
Correction: While 'toca' implies necessity, it usually implies duty/turn. Use 'debo estudiar' (I must study) for personal obligation.
Verb vs. Noun for 'Concerns'
Related Translations
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