Asustó

Asustó is the pretérito indefinido (simple past) of the Spanish verb asustar. It means that someone or something caused fear or surprise in another person, and its subject is the one that performed the action of frightening. The verb asustar is transitive and requires a direct object: asustar a alguien.

Etymology and meaning: asustar comes from susto, which denotes a fright or scare. The form asustó corresponds to the third person singular in the pretérito indefinido, used for actions completed in the past.

Conjugation and usage: asustar is a regular -ar verb in the pretérito indefinido. The full set is asusté, asustaste, asustó, asustamos, asustasteis, asustaron. In sentences, asustó typically requires a direct object: "La explosión asustó a todos." It can also pair with a deictic or complement: "El ruido asustó a los niños." In passive or impersonal constructions, you may encounter phrases like "fue lo que asustó a la gente."

Framing and related forms: the related reflexive form asustarse means to become frightened oneself: "Me asustó" (it scared me) or "Me asusté" (I got scared). The noun susto is closely connected and often used to refer to the feeling itself or a scare: "un susto" or "darle un susto a alguien."

See also: asustar, susto, asustarse. This entry focuses on the grammatical form asustó and its typical uses in narrating past events where one subject caused fear in another.