Introduction
Temer means “to fear”, and this page covers exactly one thing: temer in the present tense. The present is the tense Spanish speakers reach for when they talk about what happens regularly, what is true in general, and what is happening right now. On this page you will find the full present table for temer, how the tense is formed for this verb, the situations where it is used, how it differs from the preterite, worked examples, the mistakes learners make most often, an eight-question quiz with explained answers, and answers to the questions students ask about temer in the present. Temer is the verb for fearing something: the dark, heights, spiders. The thing feared is the direct object, with no preposition. For example: “Yo temo la oscuridad.” — I fear the dark. Everything on this page uses the forms of temer exactly as they are conjugated in the present, so you can trust every form you see here.
Temer in the Present Tense — full table
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | temo |
| tú | temes |
| él/ella/Ud. | teme |
| nosotros/as | tememos |
| vosotros/as | teméis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | temen |
Gerund: temiendo · Past participle: temido
The gerund is temiendo, which you use with estar to say what is happening right now: “Estoy temiendo” means the action of temer is in progress at this very moment. The past participle is temido, which you use with haber in the perfect tenses: “he temido” is the present perfect, used for a completed action. Keep both forms in mind as you read the examples below, because the present is only one part of how temer is used.
How the present of temer is formed
Temer is a regular -er verb, so the present follows the standard pattern with no surprises. Take the stem tem (the infinitive without its -er ending) and add the present endings: -o for yo, -as or -es for tú, -a or -e for él/ella/Ud., -amos / -emos / -imos for nosotros, -éis for vosotros, and -an or -en for ellos/ellas/Uds.. That gives you temo, temes, teme, tememos, teméis and temen. Because the verb is regular, once you know the stem and the six endings you can produce every form without memorising a list, and the same pattern works for every other regular -er verb you learn.
When to use the present of temer
The present is not a single-purpose tense. Below are the five situations where you will use temer in the present most often. Each one comes with a real example, so read the rule, then say the example out loud.
1. Fearing something
Temer is the verb for fearing something: the dark, heights, spiders. The thing feared is the direct object, with no preposition. Example: “Yo temo la oscuridad.” — I fear the dark.
2. Fearing that something happens
Temer que + subjunctive means to fear that something will happen. It is how you express worry about the future. Example: “Mi madre teme que llueva.” — My mother fears that it will rain.
3. Fearing for someone
Temer por + person means to fear for someone, to worry about them. The por marks who you worry about. Example: “Nosotros tememos por los niños.” — We fear for the children.
4. Habits and routines
The present tense is the tense of routine. When something happens every day, every week or every morning, the present is the natural choice, and temer is no exception. Use time expressions such as todos los días, siempre or cada semana to make the routine explicit. Example: “Yo temo la oscuridad.” — I fear the dark.
5. What is happening right now
The present also describes an action in progress at this very moment. Spanish often prefers the simple present where English would use the continuous form, so a sentence with temer in the present can mean both “I do this” and “I am doing this now”. Context tells the listener which one you mean. Example: “Nosotros tememos por los niños.” — We fear for the children.
Present Tense vs Preterite: how to choose
The closest tense to the present is the preterite, and learners mix them up constantly. The rule is simple: the present describes habits, general truths and what is happening now, while the preterite describes one finished action in the past. The three pairs below use the same verb, so the only thing that changes is the time frame — and with it, the tense. Notice how the present sentences use words such as todos los días or siempre, while the preterite sentences use ayer or la semana pasada. Those time words are your best clue when you are choosing a tense.
Present Tense: “Yo temo la oscuridad siempre.” — I always fear the dark.
Preterite: “Yo temí lo peor anoche.” — I feared the worst last night.
Siempre describes an ongoing fear, so the present is right; anoche names one finished night, so the preterite is right.
Present Tense: “El niño teme a los perros siempre.” — The child is always afraid of dogs.
Preterite: “El niño temió a los perros ayer.” — The child was afraid of dogs yesterday.
Siempre signals a routine, so the present fits; ayer names one finished day, so the preterite fits.
Present Tense: “Yo temo la oscuridad.” — I fear the dark.
Preterite: “Ayer, yo temí la oscuridad.” — the same action, but finished yesterday instead of repeated as a habit.
The present sentence is true every day; the preterite sentence is true once, yesterday. That difference — routine versus one finished event — is the whole decision.
Example sentences: temer in the present
Read these eight sentences out loud. They cover all six persons, so by the end you will have seen every form in the table used in a real sentence. Pay attention to the words around the verb — the time expressions, the objects, the other verbs — because those are what make each sentence sound natural.
“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.
“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.
Common mistakes with temer in the present
These are the errors learners actually make with this verb in this tense. 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.
Quiz: temer in the present
Choose the correct answer for each question, then check the answer key. Every answer is explained, so a wrong answer still teaches you something.
1. Complete the sentence: “Yo ______ la oscuridad.” (I fear the dark.)
- (a) temes
- (b) teme
- (c) temo
Answer: temo — The yo form of temer in the present is temo. The other options are the forms for different persons, so they do not agree with the subject.
2. Complete the sentence: “¿Tú ______ a las arañas?” (Are you afraid of spiders?)
- (a) teme
- (b) temes
- (c) temo
Answer: temes — The tú form of temer in the present is temes. The other options are the forms for different persons, so they do not agree with the subject.
3. Complete the sentence: “Mi hermano ______ las alturas.” (My brother fears heights.)
- (a) teme
- (b) temo
- (c) temes
Answer: teme — The él/ella/Ud. form of temer in the present is teme. The other options are the forms for different persons, so they do not agree with the subject.
4. Complete the sentence: “Nosotros ______ por los niños.” (We fear for the children.)
- (a) temo
- (b) temes
- (c) tememos
Answer: tememos — The nosotros/as form of temer in the present is tememos. The other options are the forms for different persons, so they do not agree with the subject.
5. What is the vosotros/as form of temer in the present?
- (a) temes
- (b) teméis
- (c) temo
Answer: teméis — From the table above: vosotros/as takes teméis. Say it with the example sentence “Vosotros teméis el examen.” to fix it in your memory.
6. Complete the sentence: “Ellos ______ lo peor.” (They fear the worst.)
- (a) temo
- (b) temes
- (c) temen
Answer: temen — The subject needs the ellos/ellas/Uds. form, which is temen.
7. Which is the correct yo form of temer in the present?
- (a) temo
- (b) teme
- (c) temen
Answer: temo — The yo form is temo. The other two options are the él/ella and ellos/ellas forms.
8. Which sentence describes a habit, something that happens regularly?
- (a) Yo temo la oscuridad siempre.
- (b) Yo temí lo peor anoche.
- (c) Yo temí lo peor anoche.
Answer: Yo temo la oscuridad siempre. — “Yo temo la oscuridad siempre.” describes something repeated, so it takes the present tense. The other two sentences describe single finished occasions in the past, not habits.
Frequently asked questions
Is temer regular in the present tense?
Yes. Temer is a regular -er verb: the stem is tem- and the present endings are -o, -es, -e, -emos, -éis and -en. There are no stem changes, so the whole table follows the standard pattern.
Does temer take a preposition before what you fear?
No. What you fear is the direct object: 'Temo la oscuridad', 'Temo el examen'. Use por for the person you fear for ('Temo por los niños') and a before a person you fear ('Temo a los perros' is said of the child fearing dogs).
What is the difference between temer and tener miedo?
Temer means to fear, a formal verb, while tener miedo means to be afraid, the everyday phrase. 'Temo la oscuridad' and 'Tengo miedo a la oscuridad' mean the same thing, but tener miedo is far more common in conversation.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of temer — every tense of temer in one place.
- Temer examples and quiz — more sentences with temer and a ten-question quiz.
- Spanish present guide — how the present works for all Spanish verbs.
- Spanish verbs — the hub for every Spanish verb on VerbFlow.
- Present tense conjugator — conjugate any verb in the present instantly.
- Verb quiz — test yourself on temer and other verbs.