Introduction
Temer means «to fear». Temer means to fear or to be afraid of: the dark, spiders, heights, an exam. It is a regular -er verb, more formal than tener miedo, and it is one of the classic triggers of the subjunctive in Spanish. It is a regular -er verb, so the tables below show you exactly how it behaves in every tense. On this page you will find the full conjugation of temer in all thirteen tenses, notes on when to use each one, example sentences, the mistakes learners make most often, a ten-question quiz and answers to the questions students ask about this verb. For example: «Yo temo la oscuridad todos los días.» — I fear the dark every day.
Quick facts
| Infinitive | temer |
| English | to fear |
| Verb type | Regular -er verb |
| Gerund | temiendo |
| Past participle | temido |
| Auxiliary verb | haber |
Full conjugation tables
Gerund: temiendo · Past participle: temido
Present Indicative
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | temo |
| tú | temes |
| él/ella/Ud. | teme |
| nosotros/as | tememos |
| vosotros/as | teméis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | temen |
The present tense describes habits, facts and what is happening now. For temer, the yo form is temo, as in «Yo temo» in the examples below. Use the present for routines («todos los días») and for general truths.
Preterite
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | temí |
| tú | temiste |
| él/ella/Ud. | temió |
| nosotros/as | temimos |
| vosotros/as | temisteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | temieron |
The preterite describes completed actions in the past — things that started and finished. «Ayer yo temí» is the classic use. Do not confuse it with the imperfect: the preterite moves the story forward, one finished event at a time.
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | temía |
| tú | temías |
| él/ella/Ud. | temía |
| nosotros/as | temíamos |
| vosotros/as | temíais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | temían |
The imperfect describes the past as background: habits, descriptions and actions in progress. «De pequeño, yo temía» shows the habitual use. It sets the scene while the preterite reports what happened inside it.
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | temeré |
| tú | temerás |
| él/ella/Ud. | temerá |
| nosotros/as | temeremos |
| vosotros/as | temeréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | temerán |
The future tense states what will happen. For temer the future is built on the infinitive: «Mañana yo temeré». It is also used for predictions and promises, and in spoken Spanish it often alternates with ir a + infinitive.
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | temería |
| tú | temerías |
| él/ella/Ud. | temería |
| nosotros/as | temeríamos |
| vosotros/as | temeríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | temerían |
The conditional expresses what would happen: wishes, polite requests and hypothetical results. «Si tuviera más tiempo, yo temería» is the typical pattern. It shares its stem with the future and changes only the endings.
Present Perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he temido |
| tú | has temido |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha temido |
| nosotros/as | hemos temido |
| vosotros/as | habéis temido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han temido |
The present perfect connects the past with the present: something that has happened, often today or recently. It is haber in the present plus the past participle: «Hoy yo he temido». In Spain it is used for anything that happened today; in Latin America the preterite is often preferred.
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había temido |
| tú | habías temido |
| él/ella/Ud. | había temido |
| nosotros/as | habíamos temido |
| vosotros/as | habíais temido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían temido |
The pluperfect describes an event that happened before another past event: «Cuando llegué, ya había temido». It is haber in the imperfect plus the past participle, and it is the tense for explaining what had already happened when something else took place.
Future Perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré temido |
| tú | habrás temido |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá temido |
| nosotros/as | habremos temido |
| vosotros/as | habréis temido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán temido |
The future perfect looks back from a future point: by then, something will already have happened. «Para mañana, yo habré temido» is the pattern — haber in the future plus the past participle. It is less common in speech but regular in formal writing.
Conditional Perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría temido |
| tú | habrías temido |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría temido |
| nosotros/as | habríamos temido |
| vosotros/as | habríais temido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían temido |
The conditional perfect expresses what would have happened: «Yo habría temido si hubiera podido». It is haber in the conditional plus the past participle, and it is the tense for regrets and missed chances.
Present Subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | tema |
| tú | temas |
| él/ella/Ud. | tema |
| nosotros/as | temamos |
| vosotros/as | temáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | teman |
The present subjunctive appears after wishes, doubts, emotions and impersonal expressions: «Espero que él tema». The trigger is in the main clause; the subjunctive is the mood of uncertainty, desire and influence. Learn the yo form first — most of the table follows from it.
Imperfect Subjunctive (-ra forms)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | temiera |
| tú | temieras |
| él/ella/Ud. | temiera |
| nosotros/as | temiéramos |
| vosotros/as | temierais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | temieran |
The imperfect subjunctive is the past partner of the present subjunctive, used after past-tense triggers and in si-clauses: «Si él temiera, todo sería distinto». The table above shows the -ra forms, the ones you will hear most often. There is also a less common -se set built on the same stem.
Imperative — Affirmative
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | teme |
| él/ella/Ud. | tema |
| nosotros/as | temamos |
| vosotros/as | temed |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | teman |
There is no yo form in the imperative — you cannot command yourself.
The affirmative imperative gives direct commands and instructions: «¡Teme!». There is no yo form — you cannot command yourself. The tú form is the one you will use with friends and family, and the usted form with people you address formally.
Imperative — Negative
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | temas |
| él/ella/Ud. | tema |
| nosotros/as | temamos |
| vosotros/as | temáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | teman |
There is no yo form in the imperative — you cannot command yourself.
The negative imperative tells someone not to do something: «¡No temas!». Unlike the affirmative imperative, the negative forms come from the present subjunctive, which is why they look different. Never use the affirmative form after no.
Example sentences
- Yo temo la oscuridad todos los días. — I fear the dark every day.
- Mi hermana teme la oscuridad mucho. — My sister fears the dark a lot.
- Ayer yo temí la oscuridad por la tarde. — Yesterday I feared the dark in the afternoon.
- De pequeño, yo temía la oscuridad muchas veces. — As a child, I used to fear the dark often.
- Mañana yo temeré la oscuridad sin falta. — Tomorrow I will fear the dark without fail.
- Si tuviera más tiempo, yo temería la oscuridad ahora mismo. — If I had more time, I would fear the dark right now.
- Hoy yo he temido a las arañas dos veces. — Today I have feared spiders twice.
- Espero que él tema la oscuridad pronto. — I hope he fears the dark soon.
- ¡No temas a la oscuridad! — Don't fear the dark!
- Ahora mismo estoy temiendo la oscuridad. — Right now I am fearing the dark.
Common mistakes
1. Forgetting the accent in the preterite
Wrong: temi
Right: temí
The yo preterite of temer carries a written accent: temí. Without it, temi is the present subjunctive yo form, a completely different tense.
2. Using the imperfect for a finished event
Wrong: Ayer yo temía la oscuridad.
Right: Ayer yo temí la oscuridad.
Yesterday's finished action needs the preterite, temí. The imperfect temía describes what used to happen or what was going on, not a single completed event.
3. Confusing it with a similar verb
Wrong: *Temo que viene.
Right: Temo que venga.
Temer triggers the subjunctive in the following clause: temo que venga, not temo que viene.
4. Using the indicative after a subjunctive trigger
Wrong: Espero que tú temes la oscuridad.
Right: Espero que tú temas la oscuridad.
After espero que, Spanish requires the subjunctive: temas, not the indicative temes. Wishes, hopes and doubts all trigger this change.
5. Using the affirmative imperative after no
Wrong: No teme la oscuridad.
Right: No temas la oscuridad.
Negative commands use the subjunctive-based forms: no temas. The affirmative teme can never follow no.
Quiz
Test yourself on the forms above. Choose the correct answer, then check the key below.
1. What is the yo form of temer in the present tense?
- (a) teme
- (b) tememos
- (c) temes
- (d) temo
2. What is the él/ella form of temer in the preterite?
- (a) temimos
- (b) temiste
- (c) temió
- (d) temí
3. What is the nosotros form of temer in the imperfect?
- (a) temía
- (b) temíamos
- (c) temías
4. What is the tú form of temer in the future tense?
- (a) temeremos
- (b) temerá
- (c) temerás
- (d) temeré
5. What is the ellos form of temer in the conditional?
- (a) temería
- (b) temerían
- (c) temerías
6. What is the yo form of temer in the present perfect?
- (a) ha temido
- (b) has temido
- (c) he temido
- (d) hemos temido
7. After «Espero que…», what is the tú form of temer?
- (a) tema
- (b) temamos
- (c) temas
8. What is the nosotros form of temer in the imperfect subjunctive (-ra)?
- (a) temiera
- (b) temiéramos
- (c) temieras
9. What is the gerund of temer?
- (a) temer
- (b) temido
- (c) temiendo
- (d) temo
10. What is the past participle of temer?
- (a) temer
- (b) temido
- (c) temiendo
- (d) temí
Answer key
1. (d) temo — In the present, the yo form of temer is temo. The other options are the same tense but different persons.
2. (c) temió — In the preterite, the el form of temer is temió. The other options are the same tense but different persons.
3. (b) temíamos — In the imperfect, the nosotros form of temer is temíamos. The other options are the same tense but different persons.
4. (c) temerás — In the future, the tu form of temer is temerás. The other options are the same tense but different persons.
5. (b) temerían — In the conditional, the ellos form of temer is temerían. The other options are the same tense but different persons.
6. (c) he temido — In the present perfect, the yo form of temer is he temido. The other options are the same tense but different persons.
7. (c) temas — In the present subjunctive, the tu form of temer is temas. The other options are the same tense but different persons.
8. (b) temiéramos — In the imperfect subjunctive, the nosotros form of temer is temiéramos. The other options are the same tense but different persons.
9. (c) temiendo — The gerund of temer is temiendo. It is used with estar for the progressive: «Estoy temiendo».
10. (b) temido — The past participle of temer is temido. It follows haber in all the perfect tenses: «he temido».
Frequently asked questions
Is temer regular or irregular?
Yes, temer is a regular -er verb. Every tense follows the standard -er endings, so once you know the pattern you can generate the whole table. The only thing to watch is choosing the right tense, not the forms themselves.
What are the gerund and past participle of temer?
The gerund is temiendo and the past participle is temido. Use the gerund with estar for actions in progress («Estoy temiendo») and the participle with haber for the perfect tenses («he temido»).
What is the difference between temer and tener miedo?
Temer and tener miedo are often confused. Tener miedo is the everyday way to say you are afraid; temer is more formal and literary.
How do I say «I fear» in Spanish?
Say «Yo temo». That is the yo form of the present tense, the form you need for talking about yourself right now.
Which tense do learners find hardest with temer?
Most learners struggle with choosing between the preterite and the imperfect, not with the forms themselves. Use the preterite (temí) for a single finished event and the imperfect (temía) for habits and background. After that, the subjunctive is the next step.
Related links
- Practise this verb in one tense: temer-present-tense
- More examples and a quiz: temer-examples-and-quiz
- Browse all Spanish verbs: /spanish/
- Related verb: amar
- Related verb: odiar
- Related verb: soñar
- Conjugate any verb: verb-conjugator
- Test yourself: verb-quiz