How to Say "to tremble" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “to tremble” is “temblar” — use 'temblar' when the trembling is caused by cold, fear, or strong emotions..
temblar
/tem-BLAHR//temˈblaɾ/
Examples
El niño temblaba de miedo al ver al perro grande.
The child was trembling with fear upon seeing the big dog.
Hace tanto frío que no puedo dejar de temblar.
It's so cold that I can't stop shivering.
Le temblaban las manos al abrir la carta.
His hands were trembling as he opened the letter.
Sentí la tierra temblar durante unos segundos.
I felt the ground quake for a few seconds.
The 'E' to 'IE' Change
This verb is a 'boot verb.' The 'e' in the root changes to 'ie' when you stress it, like in 'tiemblo' (I shake), but it stays 'e' when the stress is on the ending, like in 'temblamos' (we shake).
Using 'DE' for the Cause
When explaining WHY someone is shaking (cold, fear, nerves), use the word 'de' followed by the reason, e.g., 'Tiemblo de emoción' (I'm trembling with emotion).
Forgetting the stem change
Mistake: “Yo temblo mucho.”
Correction: Say 'Yo tiemblo mucho.' Remember that the 'e' changes to 'ie' in the Present tense for most people (except 'we' and 'you all' in Spain).
Using 'con' for cause
Mistake: “Tiemblo con frío.”
Correction: Say 'Tiemblo de frío.' In Spanish, we use 'of' (de) to connect the shaking to the feeling.
estremecer
/es-treh-meh-SEHR//estɾemeˈθeɾ/
Examples
La noticia del accidente me hizo estremecer.
The news of the accident made me shudder.
El rugido del motor hizo estremecer el suelo.
The roar of the engine made the ground shake.
Ella se estremeció al sentir el viento helado en su cara.
She shuddered when she felt the icy wind on her face.
Un fuerte terremoto estremeció la ciudad durante la noche.
A strong earthquake shook the city during the night.
The 'ZC' Spelling Change
For this verb, when you have a 'yo' form or a 'special form' (subjunctive) that ends in 'o' or 'a', the 'c' changes to 'zc' to keep the soft 's' or 'th' sound.
When to use 'se'
Use 'estremecerse' (with the extra 'se') when you are talking about a person shivering or shuddering on their own. Use 'estremecer' without 'se' when something else is doing the shaking.
Missing the 'Z'
Mistake: “Yo estremeco.”
Correction: Yo estremezco. (The 'z' is needed before the 'o' to maintain the correct pronunciation pattern.)
Temblar vs. Estremecer
Related Translations
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