The preterite of asustarse is used to express when someone got scared at a specific moment in the past. For example, “I got scared when I heard the noise” – “Me asusté cuando oí el ruido.”
While this is a regular -ar verb, it’s reflexive, meaning you need to use the appropriate reflexive pronoun (me, te, se, nos, os, se) before each conjugated form.
Conjugations
Conjugations of Asustarse (to get scared) in the Preterite (Past) Tense tense (Castilian Spanish):
| Pronoun | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| Yo | me asusté |
| Tú | te asustaste |
| Él / Ella / Usted | se asustó |
| Nosotros / Nosotras | nos asustamos |
| Vosotros / Vosotras | os asustasteis |
| Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes | se asustaron |
Boost Your Memorization with Audio!
We’ve included audio recordings of the the conjugations of Asustarse (to get scared) in the Preterite (Past) Tense to help you learn faster.
Pro Tip: Play the audio on a loop as you study the chart. This repetition will solidify the correct conjugations in your memory.
Usage of Asustarse in the Preterite (Past) Tense
The Preterite of asustarse expresses specific moments of becoming frightened.
To get scared (specific incident): Describes a sudden fright, for example Me asusté cuando sonó la alarma (I got scared when the alarm went off), or Se asustaron con el ruido (They got scared by the noise).
To be startled: Indicates being startled by something unexpected, for example Se asustó al verme (They were startled when they saw me).
Examples
Examples of Asustarse in the Preterite (Past) Tense
Me asusté cuando oí el trueno. (I got scared when I heard the thunder.)
El gato se asustó con el ruido. (The cat got scared by the noise.)
Los niños se asustaron durante la película de terror. (The children got scared during the horror movie.)
¿Por qué te asustaste tanto? (Why did you get so scared?)
Nos asustamos cuando se apagaron las luces. (We got scared when the lights went out.)
Se asustó al ver la araña. (She got scared when she saw the spider.)
Los pájaros se asustaron con los fuegos artificiales. (The birds got scared by the fireworks.)
Me asusté cuando casi me caigo. (I got scared when I almost fell.)
Se asustaron por el ruido repentino. (They got scared by the sudden noise.)
Te asustaste sin razón. (You got scared for no reason.)
El perro se asustó con la tormenta. (The dog got scared by the storm.)
Nos asustamos cuando sonó la alarma. (We got scared when the alarm went off.)
Se asustó al ver su reflejo. (He got scared seeing his reflection.)
Los caballos se asustaron con el relámpago. (The horses got scared by the lightning.)
Me asusté cuando vi la nota. (I got scared when I saw the grade.)
Conjugations with English Translations
Conjugations of Asustarse (to get scared) in the Preterite (Past) Tense tense (Castilian Spanish) with English Translations:
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Yo me asusté | I got scared |
| Tú te asustaste | You got scared |
| Él / Ella / Usted se asustó | He / She / You (formal) got scared |
| Nosotros / Nosotras nos asustamos | We got scared |
| Vosotros / Vosotras os asustasteis | You all got scared |
| Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes se asustaron | They / You all (formal) got scared |
This post covers Castilian Spanish. For Latin American Spanish, click here
Synonyms
The Preterite tense is also known as the Simple Past, Past Simple, Definite Past, Absolute Past, or Past Tense Indicative in English, and as Pretérito Perfecto Simple, Pretérito Indefinido, Pretérito Simple, Pasado Simple, or Pretérito de Indicativo in Spanish.