empeores

Empeores is the second-person singular present subjunctive form of the Spanish verb empeorar, which means to worsen or deteriorate. It is used in dependent clauses after verbs or expressions that convey doubt, desire, possibility, necessity, or emotion, typically introduced by que, ojalá, para que, or es importante que. For example: Es posible que no empeores si sigues el tratamiento; Espero que no empeores.

In standard Spanish, empeores corresponds to tú in the present subjunctive, while other present subjunctive forms include empeore (usted/él/ella), empeoremos (nosotros), empeoréis (vosotros), and empeoren (ustedes/ellos). The vosotros form empeoréis is used in Spain; many dialects in the Americas use empeoren for the ustedes form, with a distinct second-person plural subjunctive form.

Etymology and morphology: the verb empeorar is formed with the prefix em- plus peor, the comparative of malo (bad). The subjunctive mood reflects non-factual or subjective contexts, and the form empeores retains the stem empeor- with the usual subjunctive endings for -ar verbs.

Usage notes: empeores frequently appears in health and safety contexts, planning, or warnings, as in “para que no empeores la situación” or “no quiero que empeores tu salud.” It is a standard, neutral verb form in Spanish grammar and is taught as part of the conjugation patterns for -ar verbs in the present subjunctive.