How to Say "to startle" in Spanish
The Spanish word for “to startle” is “asustar” — A1 level. This is a very common word in everyday Spanish.
English → SpanishA1
verbA1
to surprise someone suddenly
Examples
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.
Related Translations
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