temer
verbCEFR B1
What does “temer” mean in English?
to fear that
to fear that (temer que + subjunctive — always triggers subjunctive, unlike opinion verbs)
Example sentences
Temo que el proyecto no esté listo para la presentación del jueves y que tengamos que pedir una prórroga.
I fear that the project won't be ready for Thursday's presentation and that we'll have to ask for an extension.
Temíamos que los cambios en la dirección afectaran negativamente al ambiente laboral del equipo.
We feared that the management changes would negatively affect the team's working environment.
Temo que ya hayan tomado una decisión sin consultarnos, porque no han respondido ningún mensaje.
I fear they may have already made a decision without consulting us, because they haven't answered any messages.
How to use it
Temer means 'to fear' and is an emotion trigger: temer que + subjunctive regardless of whether the sentence is positive or negative. This differs from verbs of opinion (creer, pensar) where only the negated form triggers subjunctive. 'Temo que no vengan' and 'Temo que vengan' both take subjunctive. Temer is slightly more formal than tener miedo de que, which follows the same rule. The future-oriented fear uses present subjunctive; fear about something already done uses present perfect subjunctive.
Common mistake
Unlike creer or pensar, temer always triggers subjunctive — even in the affirmative. 'Temo que venga' (I fear he'll come) uses subjunctive just as 'Temo que no venga' (I fear he won't come) does. Learners who have only learned the 'negation flips mood' rule sometimes use indicative after positive temer — this is an error.