molestarte

Molestarte is a Spanish verbal form derived from the verb molestar, meaning to bother or to annoy. It is created by attaching the second-person pronoun te to the infinitive molestar, yielding the infinitival construction molestarte. This clitic-infinitive appears in phrases such as No quiero molestarte ahora (I don’t want to bother you right now) or ¿Puedo molestarte un moment o? (May I bother you for a moment?). The meaning in English depends on context, typically “to bother you” or “to annoy you.”

Etymology and form: Molestar comes from Latin molestare, meaning to trouble or annoy. The pronoun te is a Spanish clitic pronoun representing the informal second person singular object, which when attached to the infinitive creates molestarte. This form is common in informal speech and in subordinate clauses, while the simple form molestar is used when the pronoun is not attached.

Usage and nuance: Molestarte is used to describe or request permission to interrupt or cause a minor nuisance, often with a polite or apologetic tone. It is less common in formal writing, but may appear in quoted dialogue or casual narratives. Variants include te molesto (I bother you) in present tense, or ¿Te molesto? (Am I bothering you?).

See also: The verb molestar and related terms such as incomodar or fastidiar can convey similar notions of causing irritation, depending on region and register. Be aware that in English, the root “molest” has strong sexual connotations, but in Spanish molestarte is a neutral expression meaning to bother you.