How to Say "to frighten" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “to frighten” is “asustar” — use 'asustar' for general, everyday instances of scaring someone, often a sudden fright or a mild scare..
asustar
/ah-soos-TAR//asusˈtaɾ/
Examples
¡No grites así, me vas a asustar!
Don't yell like that, you're going to scare me!
No me asustes así.
Don't scare me like that.
El ruido asustó al gato.
The noise scared the cat.
Ese perro asusta a los niños.
That dog scares the children.
Using 'asustar' like 'gustar'
You can say 'me asusta' to mean 'it scares me.' The thing that is scary is the subject, and the person feeling the fear is the one receiving the action.
Scared vs. Scaring
Mistake: “Saying 'Estoy asustar' to mean 'I am scared.'”
Correction: Use 'Estoy asustado' (I am scared) for the feeling, and 'asustar' only for the action of scaring someone.
espantar
/es-pahn-TAHR//es.pan.ˈtaɾ/
Examples
El ruido fuerte espantó a los pájaros del jardín.
The loud noise scared the birds away from the garden.
El espantapájaros sirve para espantar a las aves.
The scarecrow is used to scare the birds away.
¡Espanta esa mosca de mi comida!
Shoo that fly away from my food!
Quiero espantar mis dudas antes de decidir.
I want to drive away my doubts before deciding.
Using the 'Personal A'
If you are scaring away a person or a pet, remember to put the little word 'a' before them, like 'Espantó a los niños'.
Making it Reflexive
When you add 'se' to the end (espantarse), it means 'to get scared' or 'to be shocked' yourself.
Espantar vs. Asustar
Mistake: “Using 'asustar' when you mean to drive something away.”
Correction: Use 'espantar' for flies, birds, or bad vibes you want to leave the area. Use 'asustar' for a simple jump-scare.
alarmar
/ah-lahr-MAHR//alaɾˈmaɾ/
Examples
Los recientes terremotos han alarmado a la población local.
The recent earthquakes have alarmed the local population.
No quiero alarmar a nadie, pero hay una tormenta en camino.
I don't want to alarm anyone, but there is a storm on the way.
Las noticias sobre la economía alarmaron a los inversores.
The news about the economy alarmed the investors.
Su repentino silencio empezó a alarmarme.
His sudden silence began to worry me.
Using the 'Personal A'
Since this word usually describes how you affect a person, remember to use the little word 'a' before the person being alarmed (e.g., 'alarma a mi madre').
Action vs. Feeling
Use 'alarmar' when something causes worry. If you want to say you feel worried yourself, you'll see it as 'alarmarse' (to get alarmed).
Alarmar vs. Alertar
Mistake: “Usar 'alarmar' para un simple aviso sin miedo.”
Correction: Use 'alertar' for a neutral warning and 'alarmar' when there is a sense of fear or panic involved.
aterrar
/ah-teh-RAHR//ateˈraɾ/
Examples
La película de terror fue tan aterradora que no pude dormir.
The horror movie was so terrifying that I couldn't sleep.
A ella le aterra la idea de volar en avión.
The idea of flying in a plane terrifies her.
Sus gritos aterraron a los vecinos durante la noche.
Their screams terrified the neighbors during the night.
Me aterra que algo malo pueda pasarle a mi familia.
It terrifies me that something bad could happen to my family.
Using the 'Gustar' Structure
This word often works like 'gustar'. You use a little word like 'me', 'te', or 'le' to show who is being scared: 'Me aterra' means 'It terrifies me'.
The 'Personal A'
When you terrify a specific person, you must put 'a' before their name: 'La película aterró a Juan'.
Confusion with 'enterrar'
Mistake: “Me entierran las arañas.”
Correction: Me aterran las arañas. (Enterrar means 'to bury', while aterrar means 'to terrify'.)
Choosing between 'asustar' and 'aterrar'
Related Translations
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