The Imperative Mood (Affirmative Commands) of asustar is used to give direct orders or instructions to scare or frighten someone, for example ¡Asusta al ladrón! (Scare the thief!). It allows you to command others in a straightforward manner.

Asustar is a regular -ar verb, meaning its conjugations follow the typical pattern for verbs ending in -ar in the present tense. This makes it relatively straightforward to learn and apply the Imperative Mood conjugations.

Conjugations

Conjugations of Asustar (to frighten) in the Imperative Mood (Affirmative Commands) tense (Latin American Spanish):

Asustar generally means to frighten or scare, but has several different meanings in the Imperative Mood (Affirmative Commands), some of which might surprise you.

To frighten or scare: This is the most common meaning, used to tell someone to frighten or scare another person or animal. For example, ¡Asusta al ladrón! (Scare the thief!)

To surprise or shock: It can also mean to surprise or shock someone, often in a negative way. For example, ¡No me asustes con esas noticias! (Don’t shock me with that news!)

To intimidate or threaten: In a more aggressive sense, it can mean to intimidate or threaten someone. For example, ¡Asústalo para que nos deje en paz! (Intimidate him so he leaves us alone!)

To startle or make jump: It can also mean to startle or make someone jump with fright. For example, ¡Asústalo cuando entre a la habitación! (Startle him when he enters the room!)

To impress or amaze (colloquial): In some Latin American slang, it can mean to impress or amaze someone, often in a boastful way. For example, ¡Asústalo con tus habilidades! (Impress him with your skills!)

Examples

Examples of Asustar in the Imperative Mood (Affirmative Commands)

¡Asusta al ladrón con tu voz fuerte! (Scare the thief with your loud voice!)

Mamá, asustemos a papá cuando llegue a casa. (Mom, let’s scare dad when he gets home.)

Oye, no asustes a tu hermana menor con esas historias de terror. (Hey, don’t scare your little sister with those horror stories.)

¡Asusten a los pájaros para que se vayan del jardín! (Scare the birds away so they leave the garden!)

Amigo, asusta a los monstruos bajo la cama antes de dormir. (Friend, scare the monsters under the bed before sleeping.)

¡Asuste al perro con un ruido fuerte para que deje de ladrar! (Scare the dog with a loud noise so it stops barking!)

En el parque de atracciones, asustemos a nuestros amigos en la casa embrujada. (At the amusement park, let’s scare our friends in the haunted house.)

¡Asusten a los ladrones con las linternas para que huyan! (Scare the burglars with flashlights so they flee!)

Mamá, asusta a las cucarachas para que se vayan del baño. (Mom, scare the cockroaches away so they leave the bathroom.)

En Halloween, asustemos a los niños con disfraces terroríficos. (On Halloween, let’s scare the kids with terrifying costumes.)

¡Asuste al gato con un sonido fuerte para que deje de arañar los muebles! (Scare the cat with a loud sound so it stops scratching the furniture!)

Oye, asusta a los pájaros para que dejen de hacer ruido por la mañana. (Hey, scare the birds so they stop making noise in the morning.)

En la fiesta de disfraces, asustemos a nuestros amigos con máscaras aterradoras. (At the costume party, let’s scare our friends with terrifying masks.)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Asustar (to frighten) in the Imperative Mood (Affirmative Commands) tense (Latin American Spanish) with English Translations:

This post covers Latin American Spanish. For Castilian Spanish, click here

Synonyms

The Imperative mood is also known as the Command Form, Affirmative Command Mood, or Direct Command Form in English, and as Modo Imperativo, Imperativo Afirmativo, Mandatos Afirmativos, or Forma de Mandato in Spanish.