Aterrorizar Present Tense Conjugation in Spanish
The present tense of aterrorizar — “to terrify” 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 aterrorizar 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. Aterrorizar means to terrify, and it is a strong verb for extreme fear: a film terrifies children, a storm terrifies a village, a threat terrifies a family. It is stronger than asustar, and it is used for fear that paralyses. Aterrorizar is a spelling-changing verb, so the notes below explain exactly where it follows the rules and where it breaks them. To see it in a real sentence: Aterrorizo a los niños con la película.
Present tense conjugation table: aterrorizar
Every person of aterrorizar in the present tense. The gerund is aterrorizando and the past participle is aterrorizado.
Present indicative
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | aterrorizo |
| tú | aterrorizas |
| él/ella/Ud. | aterroriza |
| nosotros/as | aterrorizamos |
| vosotros/as | aterrorizáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | aterrorizan |
How the present of aterrorizar is formed
The present of aterrorizar is built from the stem aterroriz- plus the present endings for -ar verbs. Take the infinitive, drop the -ar ending, 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 | aterrorizo |
| tú | -as | aterrorizas |
| él/ella/Ud. | -a | aterroriza |
| nosotros/as | -amos | aterrorizamos |
| vosotros/as | -áis | aterrorizáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | -an | aterrorizan |
For aterrorizar there are no surprises in the present: every form is the stem aterroriz- plus the regular ending, so once you know the endings you know the whole tense.
When to use the present tense with aterrorizar
Habits and routines
Use the present for things you do regularly.
Yo aterrorizo a los niños con la película. — I terrify the children with the film.
General facts
Use the present for facts and general truths that do not change.
Él/Ella aterroriza al pueblo con la tormenta. — He terrifies the village with the storm.
What is happening right now
Use the present for what is happening at this moment.
Ahora, Nosotros/as aterrorizamos a la familia con amenazas. — Right now, We terrify the family with threats.
Near-future plans
Use the present for fixed plans in the near future, especially with mañana or la semana que viene.
Mañana, Tú aterrorizas a los pasajeros con el ruido. — Tomorrow, You terrify the passengers with the noise.
Instructions and timeless statements
Use the present for instructions, rules and statements that are always true.
Él/Ella aterroriza a los niños con la película. — He terrifies the children with the film.
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 aterrorizar.
- Yo aterrorizo a los niños con la película. — I terrify the children with the film. / Ayer, Yo aterroricé a los niños con la película. — Yesterday, I terrified the children with the film.
- Yo aterrorizo al pueblo con la tormenta. — I terrify the village with the storm. / Ayer, Yo aterroricé al pueblo con la tormenta. — Yesterday, I terrified the village with the storm.
- Yo aterrorizo a la familia con amenazas. — I terrify the family with threats. / Ayer, Yo aterroricé a la familia con amenazas. — Yesterday, I terrified the family with threats.
Example sentences in the present tense
Seven sentences with aterrorizar in the present tense only, covering all six persons.
- Yo aterrorizo a los niños con la película. — I terrify the children with the film.
- Tú aterrorizas al pueblo con la tormenta. — You terrify the village with the storm.
- Él/Ella aterroriza a la familia con amenazas. — He terrifies the family with threats.
- Nosotros/as aterrorizamos a los pasajeros con el ruido. — We terrify the passengers with the noise.
- Vosotros/as aterrorizáis a los niños con la película. — You terrify the children with the film.
- Ellos/as aterrorizan al pueblo con la tormenta. — They terrify the village with the storm.
- Yo aterrorizo a la familia con amenazas. — I terrify the family with threats.
Common mistakes
- Wrong: Yo aterroriza a los niños con la película. — Right: Yo aterrorizo a los niños con la película. — The person matters: aterroriza is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is aterrorizo.
- Wrong: Ayer, yo aterrorizo al pueblo con la tormenta. — Right: Ayer, yo aterroricé al pueblo con la tormenta. — With ayer, use the preterite (aterroricé), not the present. The present is for habits and for right now.
- Wrong: Using aterrorizar where asustar belongs. — Right: Aterrorizar means to terrify, while asustar means to frighten someone. — Check the meaning before you choose: aterrorizar fits Aterrorizo a los niños con la película.
- Wrong: Espero que él aterroriza al pueblo con la tormenta. — Right: Espero que él aterrorice al pueblo con la tormenta. — After espero que, Spanish needs the subjunctive: aterrorice, not the present indicative aterroriza.
Quiz: the present tense of aterrorizar
Eight questions on the present tense of aterrorizar. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ a los niños con la película. (present tense, yo) A. aterrorizo B. aterrorizas C. aterroriza D. aterrorizamos
Complete the sentence: Tú ___ al pueblo con la tormenta. (present tense, tú) A. aterrorizo B. aterroriza C. aterrorizamos D. aterrorizas
Complete the sentence: Él/Ella ___ a la familia con amenazas. (present tense, él/ella/Ud.) A. aterrorizas B. aterrorizamos C. aterroriza D. aterrorizo
Complete the sentence: Nosotros/as ___ a los pasajeros con el ruido. (present tense, nosotros/as) A. aterroriza B. aterrorizamos C. aterrorizo D. aterrorizas
Complete the sentence: Vosotros/as ___ a los niños con la película. (present tense, vosotros/as) A. aterrorizáis B. aterrorizo C. aterrorizas D. aterroriza
Complete the sentence: Ellos/as ___ al pueblo con la tormenta. (present tense, ellos/ellas/Uds.) A. aterrorizo B. aterrorizas C. aterroriza D. aterrorizan
Which is the gerund of aterrorizar? A. aterrorizo B. aterroricé C. aterrorizando D. aterrorizado
Which is the past participle of aterrorizar, used with haber in the perfect tenses? A. aterroricé B. aterrorizado C. aterrorizando D. aterrorizo
Answer key
- aterrorizo — The yo present form of aterrorizar is aterrorizo.
- aterrorizas — The tú present form of aterrorizar is aterrorizas.
- aterroriza — The él/ella/Ud. present form of aterrorizar is aterroriza.
- aterrorizamos — The nosotros/as present form of aterrorizar is aterrorizamos.
- aterrorizáis — The vosotros/as present form of aterrorizar is aterrorizáis.
- aterrorizan — The ellos/ellas/Uds. present form of aterrorizar is aterrorizan.
- aterrorizando — The gerund of aterrorizar is aterrorizando: estoy aterrorizando.
- aterrorizado — The past participle of aterrorizar is aterrorizado: he aterrorizado, has aterrorizado, ha aterrorizado.
Frequently asked questions
How is the present tense of aterrorizar formed?
Take the infinitive aterrorizar, drop the -ar ending to get the stem aterroriz-, then add the present endings: -o, -as, -a, -amos, -áis, -an. The full table is above, with every person. No, the present of aterrorizar is fully regular: the stem aterroriz- plus the standard -ar endings gives every form.
When do I use the present tense of aterrorizar?
Use the present for habits, facts and what is happening right now. For example: Aterrorizo a los niños con la película.
What is the difference between the present and the preterite of aterrorizar?
The present (aterrorizo) and the preterite (aterroricé) 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 aterrorizar?
Drill the six forms in the table until you can say them without looking, then use the full conjugation of aterrorizar to see how the present fits with the other tenses, and the aterrorizar examples and quiz page for more sentences. The Spanish Verb Quiz tests the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Aterrorizar conjugation — the full conjugation tables for aterrorizar.
- Aterrorizar examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for aterrorizar.
- Spanish present tense guide — when and how to use the present tense.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub, with every verb and tense guide.
- Present-Tense Conjugator — conjugate any Spanish verb in the present tense.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.