The Present Tense of asustarse is used to describe actions or states of being frightened or scared that are happening right now. For example, Me asusto cuando veo una araña grande. (I get scared when I see a big spider.)

Asustarse is a regular -ar verb, which means its conjugations in the present tense follow the typical pattern for this verb type.

Conjugations

Conjugations of Asustarse (to get scared) in the Present Tense tense (Latin American Spanish):

Asustarse generally means to get scared or frightened, but has several different meanings in the Present Tense, some of which might surprise you.

To get scared or frightened: for example, Me asusto con las películas de terror (I get scared by horror movies).

To get startled: for example, Me asusto cuando alguien toca la puerta inesperadamente (I get startled when someone knocks on the door unexpectedly).

To get spooked (colloquial): for example, El perro se asusta con los ruidos fuertes (The dog gets spooked by loud noises).

To chicken out (colloquial): for example, No te asustes, es sólo un pequeño desafío (Don’t chicken out, it’s just a small challenge).

To get nervous or anxious: for example, Me asusto antes de los exámenes importantes (I get nervous before important exams).

Examples

Examples of Asustarse in the Present Tense

Cuando veo una película de terror, me asusto mucho. (When I watch a horror movie, I get really scared.)

¿Por qué te asustas tanto con las arañas? Son inofensivas. (Why do you get so scared of spiders? They’re harmless.)

El ruido fuerte asusta al bebé y empieza a llorar. (The loud noise scares the baby and he starts to cry.)

En las noches oscuras, me asusto caminando solo por el parque. (On dark nights, I get scared walking alone in the park.)

No te asustes, amigo. Es sólo un perro que ladra. (Don’t get scared, friend. It’s just a barking dog.)

La gente se asusta cuando hay un terremoto fuerte. (People get scared when there is a strong earthquake.)

Los niños se asustan con las historias de fantasmas. (Children get scared by ghost stories.)

Cuando escucho pasos en la noche, me asusto un poco. (When I hear footsteps at night, I get a little scared.)

¿Por qué te asustas tanto con las alturas? No pasa nada. (Why do you get so scared of heights? Nothing happens.)

El ruido de la tormenta asusta a mi perro y se esconde debajo de la cama. (The noise of the storm scares my dog and he hides under the bed.)

Cuando veo una cucaracha, me asusto y grito. (When I see a cockroach, I get scared and scream.)

No te asustes, chico. Es sólo una broma inocente. (Don’t get scared, dude. It’s just an innocent prank.)

La oscuridad asusta a los niños pequeños. (The darkness scares little children.)

Cuando veo una serpiente, me asusto mucho. (When I see a snake, I get really scared.)

No te asustes, mamá. Todo va a estar bien. (Don’t get scared, mom. Everything will be alright.)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Asustarse (to get scared) in the Present Tense tense (Latin American Spanish) with English Translations:

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

Synonyms

The Present tense is also known as the Simple Present, Present Simple, Present Tense, or Present Indicative in English, and as Presente de Indicativo, Presente Simple, Tiempo Presente, or Indicativo Presente in Spanish.