How to Say "disturbing" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “disturbing” is “alarmante” — use 'alarmante' when the situation or news is causing significant worry or signals potential danger, similar to 'alarming'.
Use 'alarmante' when the situation or news is causing significant worry or signals potential danger, similar to 'alarming'.
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Choose 'inquietante' for something that creates a sense of unease, worry, or anxiety without necessarily implying immediate danger, like a disturbing silence.
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Use 'perturbador' for something that causes significant mental or emotional unease, often in a more profound or unsettling way than 'inquietante'.
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Only use 'molestando' (from the verb 'molestar') when 'disturbing' means interrupting someone's peace or activity, essentially 'bothering' or 'annoying'.
Learn more →ah-lar-MAHN-tehalaɾˈmante
Examples
Las noticias sobre la crisis económica son alarmantes.
The news about the economic crisis 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.)
een-kyet-AHN-tehinkjeˈtante
Examples
Sentí una presencia inquietante en la habitación vacía.
I felt a disturbing presence in the empty room.
Había un silencio inquietante en toda la casa.
There was a disturbing silence throughout the house.
La película tiene un final muy inquietante que te hace pensar.
The movie has a very unsettling ending that makes you think.
Notamos un parecido inquietante entre los dos extraños.
We noticed an uncanny (disturbing) resemblance between the two strangers.
One Form for All
This word ends in -e, which means it doesn't change for men or women. You can use it with 'el' or 'la' without changing the ending.
Placement for Emphasis
Usually, you put this word after the person or thing you are describing, like 'una noticia inquietante'.
Changing the Ending
Mistake: “La situación es inquietanta.”
Correction: La situación es inquietante. Even though 'situación' is feminine, words ending in -e don't change to -a.
pair-toor-bah-DORpeɾtuɾβaˈðoɾ
Examples
El documental presentaba imágenes perturbadoras de la guerra.
The documentary presented disturbing images of the war.
El silencio en aquel hospital abandonado era perturbador.
The silence in that abandoned hospital was disturbing.
Vimos un documental con imágenes muy perturbadoras sobre la guerra.
We saw a documentary with very disturbing images about the war.
Ese hombre tiene una mirada perturbadora que me da escalofríos.
That man has an unsettling look that gives me the creeps.
Matching Gender
Even though the main word is 'perturbador,' you must change it to 'perturbadora' if you are describing something feminine, like 'una noticia' (a piece of news).
Describing the Cause
This word describes the thing that causes the bad feeling, not the person who feels it. Use it for movies, books, or sounds.
Confusing 'Perturbador' with 'Molesto'
Mistake: “Esa mosca es perturbadora.”
Correction: Esa mosca es molesta. Use 'perturbador' for deep unease or psychological worry, not for a simple annoyance like a fly.
mo-les-TAN-domolesˈtando
Examples
El ruido de la construcción está molestando mi trabajo.
The construction noise is disturbing my work.
El perro está molestando a los vecinos con sus ladridos.
The dog is bothering the neighbors with its barking.
Estuve molestando a mi jefe hasta que me dio el día libre.
I kept bothering my boss until he gave me the day off.
Si tu rodilla te sigue molestando, deberías ir al médico.
If your knee keeps bothering you (causing discomfort), you should go to the doctor.
Showing Ongoing Action
"Molestando" is the '-ing' form (the gerund). You use it with a form of the verb estar (like estoy, estás, está) to say the annoyance is happening right now: Está molestando (He is bothering).
Using the Gerund Alone
You can sometimes use 'molestando' by itself to describe how someone is behaving: Vino a la fiesta, siempre molestando a todos (He came to the party, always annoying everyone).
The False Friend Trap
Mistake: “Using 'molestar' to mean 'to sexually abuse' (like the English word 'to molest').”
Correction: In Spanish, *molestar* means 'to annoy' or 'to bother.' If you mean the severe action implied by the English word, use phrases like *abusar sexualmente* or *agredir*.
Adjectives vs. Verb: The Biggest Pitfall
Learners often confuse the verb 'molestando' (bothering/interrupting) with the adjectives like 'inquietante' or 'perturbador' (causing unease). Remember, 'molestando' describes an action that interrupts, while the others describe a feeling or quality that causes anxiety or unease.
Related Translations
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