Asustarse Present Tense Conjugation in Spanish
The present tense of asustarse — “to get frightened” in English — is the form you need for what happens now, for habits and for general truths. This page gives you the full present conjugation table for asustarse with all six persons, explains exactly how the tense is formed for this verb, shows when to use it with real examples, and finishes with a quiz so you can test yourself. Asustarse means to get frightened, and it is the reflexive verb for being scared: you get frightened by a noise, by a dog, by a film, by bad news. It takes de or con for the cause, as in asustarse de un ruido, and it is an everyday verb of fear. Asustarse is a reflexive regular -ar verb, so the notes below explain exactly where it follows the rules and where it breaks them. To see it in a real sentence: Me asusto con el ruido de la noche.
Present tense conjugation table: asustarse
Every person of asustarse in the present tense, with the reflexive pronoun. The gerund is asustándose with the pronoun attached, and the past participle is asustado.
Present indicative
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | me asusto |
| tú | te asustas |
| él/ella/Ud. | se asusta |
| nosotros/as | nos asustamos |
| vosotros/as | os asustáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | se asustan |
How the present of asustarse is formed
The present of asustarse is built from the stem asust- plus the present endings for -ar verbs. Take the infinitive, drop the -ar ending and the reflexive -se, and add the ending that matches the person. The table below shows the endings, and the full table above shows them attached to the stem.
| Person | Ending | Form |
|---|---|---|
| yo | -o | me asusto |
| tú | -as | te asustas |
| él/ella/Ud. | -a | se asusta |
| nosotros/as | -amos | nos asustamos |
| vosotros/as | -áis | os asustáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | -an | se asustan |
For asustarse there are no surprises in the present: every form is the stem asust- plus the regular ending, so once you know the endings you know the whole tense.
Because asustarse is reflexive, the pronoun goes before the verb in every form: me, te, se, nos, os, se. In the gerund the pronoun attaches to the end: asustándose.
When to use the present tense with asustarse
Habits and routines
Use the present for things you do regularly.
Yo me asusto con el ruido de la noche. — I get frightened at the noise in the night.
General facts
Use the present for facts and general truths that do not change.
Él/Ella se asusta del perro del vecino. — He gets frightened of the neighbour's dog.
What is happening right now
Use the present for what is happening at this moment.
Ahora, Nosotros/as nos asustamos con la película de terror. — Right now, We get frightened at the horror film.
Near-future plans
Use the present for fixed plans in the near future, especially with mañana or la semana que viene.
Mañana, Tú te asustas de la noticia por teléfono. — Tomorrow, You get frightened at the news on the phone.
Instructions and timeless statements
Use the present for instructions, rules and statements that are always true.
Él/Ella se asusta con el ruido de la noche. — He gets frightened at the noise in the night.
The present vs the preterite
The present and the preterite answer different questions: the present says what happens regularly or right now, while the preterite says what happened once and finished. Compare the same idea in both tenses with asustarse.
- Yo me asusto con el ruido de la noche. — I get frightened at the noise in the night. / Ayer, Yo me asusté con el ruido de la noche. — Yesterday, I got frightened at the noise in the night.
- Yo me asusto del perro del vecino. — I get frightened of the neighbour's dog. / Ayer, Yo me asusté del perro del vecino. — Yesterday, I got frightened of the neighbour's dog.
- Yo me asusto con la película de terror. — I get frightened at the horror film. / Ayer, Yo me asusté con la película de terror. — Yesterday, I got frightened at the horror film.
Example sentences in the present tense
Seven sentences with asustarse in the present tense only, covering all six persons.
- Yo me asusto con el ruido de la noche. — I get frightened at the noise in the night.
- Tú te asustas del perro del vecino. — You get frightened of the neighbour's dog.
- Él/Ella se asusta con la película de terror. — He gets frightened at the horror film.
- Nosotros/as nos asustamos de la noticia por teléfono. — We get frightened at the news on the phone.
- Vosotros/as os asustáis con el ruido de la noche. — You get frightened at the noise in the night.
- Ellos/as se asustan del perro del vecino. — They get frightened of the neighbour's dog.
- Yo me asusto con la película de terror. — I get frightened at the horror film.
Common mistakes
- Wrong: Yo asusta con el ruido de la noche. — Right: Yo asusto con el ruido de la noche. — The person matters: asusta is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is asusto.
- Wrong: Ayer, yo asusto del perro del vecino. — Right: Ayer, yo asusté del perro del vecino. — With ayer, use the preterite (asusté), not the present. The present is for habits and for right now.
- Wrong: Yo asusto con el ruido de la noche. — Right: Yo me asusto con el ruido de la noche. — Asustarse is reflexive, so the pronoun me is required in the present tense too.
- Wrong: Espero que él asusta del perro del vecino. — Right: Espero que él asuste del perro del vecino. — After espero que, Spanish needs the subjunctive: asuste, not the present indicative asusta.
Quiz: the present tense of asustarse
Eight questions on the present tense of asustarse. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ con el ruido de la noche. (present tense, yo) A. me asusto B. te asustas C. se asusta D. nos asustamos
Complete the sentence: Tú ___ del perro del vecino. (present tense, tú) A. me asusto B. se asusta C. nos asustamos D. te asustas
Complete the sentence: Él/Ella ___ con la película de terror. (present tense, él/ella/Ud.) A. te asustas B. nos asustamos C. se asusta D. me asusto
Complete the sentence: Nosotros/as ___ de la noticia por teléfono. (present tense, nosotros/as) A. se asusta B. nos asustamos C. me asusto D. te asustas
Complete the sentence: Vosotros/as ___ con el ruido de la noche. (present tense, vosotros/as) A. os asustáis B. me asusto C. te asustas D. se asusta
Complete the sentence: Ellos/as ___ del perro del vecino. (present tense, ellos/ellas/Uds.) A. me asusto B. te asustas C. se asusta D. se asustan
Which is the gerund of asustarse? A. asusto B. asusté C. asustando D. asustado
Which is the past participle of asustarse, used with haber in the perfect tenses? A. asusté B. asustado C. asustando D. asusto
Answer key
- me asusto — The yo present form of asustarse is me asusto.
- te asustas — The tú present form of asustarse is te asustas.
- se asusta — The él/ella/Ud. present form of asustarse is se asusta.
- nos asustamos — The nosotros/as present form of asustarse is nos asustamos.
- os asustáis — The vosotros/as present form of asustarse is os asustáis.
- se asustan — The ellos/ellas/Uds. present form of asustarse is se asustan.
- asustando — The gerund of asustarse is asustando: estoy asustando.
- asustado — The past participle of asustarse is asustado: he asustado, has asustado, ha asustado.
Frequently asked questions
How is the present tense of asustarse formed?
Take the infinitive asustarse, drop the -ar ending and the reflexive -se to get the stem asust-, then add the present endings: -o, -as, -a, -amos, -áis, -an. The full table is above, with every person. No, the present of asustarse is fully regular: the stem asust- plus the standard -ar endings gives every form.
When do I use the present tense of asustarse?
Use the present for habits, facts and what is happening right now. For example: Me asusto con el ruido de la noche.
What is the difference between the present and the preterite of asustarse?
The present (asusto) and the preterite (asusté) answer different questions: the present is for habits and for right now, while the preterite is for one finished action. Compare them in the contrast section above.
How do I practise the present of asustarse?
Drill the six forms in the table until you can say them without looking, then use the full conjugation of asustarse to see how the present fits with the other tenses, and the asustarse examples and quiz page for more sentences. The Spanish Verb Quiz tests the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Asustarse conjugation — the full conjugation tables for asustarse.
- Asustarse examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for asustarse.
- Spanish present tense guide — when and how to use the present tense.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub, with every verb and tense guide.
- Reflexive Verb Conjugator — practise reflexive verbs with the right pronoun for every person.
- Present-Tense Conjugator — conjugate any Spanish verb in the present tense.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.