Spanish vocabulary · Beginner
How to Say "Scared" in Spanish: Asustado and Tener Miedo
Asustado · adjective · ah-soos-TAH-doh
Scared in Spanish is asustado/asustada (adjective describing the state of being frightened) or expressed with tener miedo (to have fear / to be scared). Dar miedo means to scare or frighten: me da miedo (it scares me).
ah-soos-TAH-doh — four syllables, stress on TAH. Gender agreement: asustado (masc.), asustada (fem.).
El niño estaba asustado por los truenos.
The boy was scared of the thunder.
Scared in Spanish: Quick Reference
Below are the most common Spanish words for scared, with pronunciation and regional usage notes.
| Spanish | English | Pronunciation | Region / Register |
|---|---|---|---|
| asustado | scared | ah-soos-TAH-doh | Default, widely understood |
| tener miedo | scared | Universal (to be scared / have fear) | |
| aterrorizado | scared | Universal (terrified, extreme) | |
| espantado | scared | Latin America (startled, spooked) |
How Native Speakers Use Asustado
Real example sentences across three contexts you'll actually run into.
State of being scared
Mi hermana está asustada porque escuchó un ruido extraño.
My sister is scared because she heard a strange noise.
Estar + asustado/a describes the current emotional state of being frightened.
Using tener miedo
Tengo miedo de volar, así que siempre viajo en tren.
I'm scared of flying, so I always travel by train.
Tener miedo de/a is the verb phrase equivalent — literally 'to have fear of.'
Something scares you (dar miedo)
Las arañas me dan mucho miedo desde que era pequeño.
Spiders scare me a lot since I was little.
Dar miedo (to give fear) expresses what causes the fear. The scary thing is the subject.
Avoid These Mistakes When Using Asustado
Using ser asustado instead of estar asustado
Incorrect: Soy asustado de la oscuridad.
Correct: Estoy asustado de la oscuridad. / Tengo miedo a la oscuridad.
Being scared is a state (estar), not an identity (ser). Ser asustado doesn't exist as natural Spanish. Use estar asustado or tener miedo.
Confusing asustado with asustadizo
Incorrect: Hoy estoy muy asustadizo por la película.
Correct: Hoy estoy muy asustado por la película.
Asustadizo means easily frightened (a personality trait — someone who scares easily). Asustado means currently scared (a temporary state). They describe different things.
Lock in Scared Vocabulary with the Parrot Method
Why word lists alone don't stick
Memorizing a translation feels productive, but most learners forget 70% of what they studied within 48 hours. Vocabulary needs spaced repetition AND real-world exposure to transfer to long-term memory.
See Asustado used by native speakers
Parrot's short-form videos feature native speakers using asustado in real situations. Context-based exposure beats flashcards, you hear El niño estaba asustado por los truenos. while watching someone live the moment, connecting meaning, sound, and rhythm at once.
Save, review, repeat, stay consistent
Tap any word to save it. Parrot's spaced-repetition system surfaces it right before you'd forget, no manual flashcard creation. The watch, parrot back, save, review cycle turns recognition into fluency at 2.7x the speed of traditional study.
Common Questions About Scared in Spanish
- How do you say scared in Spanish?
- Scared can be translated as asustado/asustada (adjective with estar) or expressed as tener miedo (to have fear). I'm scared = Estoy asustado/a or Tengo miedo. For what scares you: me da miedo (it scares me).
- What's the difference between miedo, susto, and terror?
- Miedo is general fear (an ongoing state). Susto is a fright or scare (a sudden event — me llevé un susto = I got a fright). Terror is extreme fear or terror. They represent different intensities and durations of being scared.
- How do you say don't be scared in Spanish?
- No tengas miedo (Don't be scared, subjunctive command) or No te asustes (Don't get scared, reflexive command). Both are common ways to reassure someone.