Introduction
Temer means “to fear”, and it is one of the verbs you will use every day in Spanish. Temer is the verb for fearing something: the dark, heights, spiders. The thing feared is the direct object, with no preposition. Temer que + subjunctive means to fear that something will happen. It is how you express worry about the future. This page shows temer in real sentences, in short dialogues, and in the mistakes learners make most often, and it finishes with a ten-question quiz so you can test yourself. Every sentence below comes with its English translation, and every form is the correct present-tense form unless the sentence is clearly marked as past or future. For a first taste: “Yo temo la oscuridad.” — I fear the dark.
Temer in real example sentences
The twelve sentences below are grouped by how temer is used. Read each one out loud, then read the translation. If a sentence feels useful, copy it into your own notebook with one small change — a different time, a different person, a different place — and you have a new sentence of your own.
In the present: everyday use
These sentences use temer in the present tense, which is how you will meet it most often: routines, facts, and things happening now.
“Yo temo la oscuridad.” — I fear the dark.
“¿Tú temes a las arañas?” — Are you afraid of spiders?
“Mi hermano teme las alturas.” — My brother fears heights.
“Nosotros tememos por los niños.” — We fear for the children.
Talking about the past
The present is not the only tense you need. These sentences show temer in the past, so you can talk about what already happened.
“Yo temí lo peor anoche.” — I feared the worst last night. (preterite)
“El niño temía a los perros siempre.” — The child was always afraid of dogs. (imperfect)
Plans and things already done
These sentences look forward, or look back at something already finished. Notice how the verb form changes while the meaning of temer stays the same.
“Yo temeré lo peor si no llamas.” — I will fear the worst if you do not call. (future)
“¿Tú has temido alguna vez tanto?” — Have you ever feared so much? (present perfect)
More everyday uses
Four more present-tense sentences, covering the remaining persons, so you can see the whole table in action.
“Vosotros teméis el examen.” — You fear the exam.
“Ellos temen lo peor.” — They fear the worst.
“Yo temo volar.” — I am afraid of flying.
“El niño teme a los perros.” — The child is afraid of dogs.
Temer in context
Single sentences teach you the forms. Dialogues teach you when to use them. Read the short conversation below, then the paragraph that follows, and notice how temer appears naturally, without anyone stopping to think about conjugation.
A short dialogue
Ana: “¿Tú temes a las arañas?” — Are you afraid of spiders?
Luis: “Sí, yo temo la oscuridad.” — Yes, I fear the dark.
Ana: “Nosotros tememos por los niños.” — We fear for the children.
Luis: “Y ellos temen lo peor.” — And they fear the worst.
Ana: “Vosotros teméis el examen.” — You fear the exam.
Luis: “Sí, y mi hermano teme las alturas.” — Yes, and my brother fears heights.
A short paragraph
Ana teme la oscuridad, y su hermano teme las alturas. Nosotros tememos por los niños, y ellos temen lo peor. Yo temo volar, y el niño teme a los perros. Temer is part of every worry, because fearing something, fearing that something happens and fearing for someone are all part of the same verb.
Common mistakes with temer
These are the errors learners actually make with temer. Each one shows the wrong version, the right version, and why the correction matters.
Wrong: “Yo temo de la oscuridad.” Right: “Yo temo la oscuridad.” Why: Temer takes a direct object with no preposition: temo la oscuridad, not temo de la oscuridad. The por appears only in temer por alguien, to fear for someone, which is a different structure.
Wrong: “Ellos teme lo peor.” Right: “Ellos temen lo peor.” Why: Ellos needs the ellos form temen. The singular teme belongs with él, ella or a singular noun such as mi hermano.
Wrong: “Yo temo lo peor ayer.” Right: “Yo temí lo peor anoche.” Why: The present tense cannot describe a finished fear yesterday. Anoche forces the preterite, so the form must change to temí.
Wrong: “Nosotros temes por los niños.” Right: “Nosotros tememos por los niños.” Why: Nosotros needs tememos. The tú form temes belongs with tú.
Wrong: “Ellos temo todos los días.” Right: “Ellos temen todos los días.” Why: The verb must agree with its subject. Ellos needs the ellos form temen, not the yo form temo. This is the most common agreement slip in the present tense, and it happens because learners memorise the yo form first and then reuse it for every person.
Quiz: temer in use
Ten questions on temer in real sentences. Choose the correct answer for each one, then check the answer key. Every answer is explained.
1. Complete the sentence: “Vosotros ______ el examen.” (You fear the exam.)
- (a) temes
- (b) teméis
- (c) temo
Answer: teméis — The vosotros/as form of temer in the present tense is teméis.
2. Complete the sentence: “Ellos ______ lo peor.” (They fear the worst.)
- (a) temen
- (b) temo
- (c) temes
Answer: temen — The ellos/ellas/Uds. form of temer in the present tense is temen.
3. Complete the sentence (preterite): “Yo ______ lo peor anoche.” (I feared the worst last night.)
- (a) temiste
- (b) temió
- (c) temí
Answer: temí — In the preterite, the yo form of temer is temí.
4. Complete the sentence (imperfect): “El niño ______ a los perros siempre.” (The child was always afraid of dogs.)
- (a) temías
- (b) temía
- (c) temía
Answer: temía — In the imperfect, the él/ella/Ud. form of temer is temía.
5. Complete the sentence (future): “Yo ______ lo peor si no llamas.” (I will fear the worst if you do not call.)
- (a) temeré
- (b) temerás
- (c) temerá
Answer: temeré — In the future, the yo form of temer is temeré.
6. What does temer mean in English?
- (a) to finish, to end
- (b) to serve
- (c) to fear
Answer: to fear — Temer means “to fear”. The other options are the meanings of different verbs.
7. Which sentence is correct?
- (a) Yo temo la oscuridad.
- (b) Yo temo de la oscuridad.
- (c) Ellos teme lo peor.
Answer: Yo temo la oscuridad. — “Yo temo la oscuridad.” is correct. The other two sentences contain the mistakes explained in the section above.
8. How do you say “I am afraid of flying.” in Spanish?
- (a) Yo temen volar.
- (b) Yo temo volar.
- (c) El niño teme a los perros.
Answer: Yo temo volar. — “Yo temo volar.” is the correct translation. The second option means something different, and the third uses the wrong person's form.
9. What is the nosotros form of temer in the present tense?
- (a) temo
- (b) temes
- (c) tememos
Answer: tememos — The nosotros form is tememos.
10. Which of these sentences is in the present tense?
- (a) Yo temí lo peor anoche.
- (b) Yo temeré lo peor si no llamas.
- (c) Yo temo la oscuridad.
Answer: Yo temo la oscuridad. — “Yo temo la oscuridad.” is in the present tense. The other two are in the preterite and the future.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say 'I fear the dark' in Spanish?
Say 'Temo la oscuridad'. The thing follows directly with no preposition. The everyday phrase is 'Tengo miedo a la oscuridad'.
How do you say 'I am afraid of spiders' in Spanish?
Say 'Temo a las arañas' or, more commonly, 'Tengo miedo a las arañas'. The a appears before the spiders in both structures.
Can temer be used with que?
Yes. Temer que + subjunctive means to fear that something will happen: 'Mi madre teme que llueva' means my mother fears that it will rain. The subjunctive follows because the event is uncertain.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of temer — every tense of temer in one place.
- Temer in the present tense — the full table and usage rules for one tense.
- Spanish verbs — the hub for every Spanish verb on VerbFlow.
- Verb quiz — test yourself on temer and other verbs.
- Conjugation practice — drill the forms of temer until they are automatic.