molestar

to bother

verb moh-les-TAHR Less Common

Also means

to disturb

Usage Note

Molestar is a false friend for English speakers: it does NOT mean 'to molest' in the sexual sense; that would be abusar sexualmente de. Molestar simply means to annoy or disturb. ¿Le molesta si...? is the polite 'Do you mind if...?' formula.

Examples

"Por favor, no me molestes ahora."

Natural Translation

Please, don't bother me now.

Free starter pack

Building your Spanish vocabulary?

Get the 100 most common Spanish words as a free PDF — one email, no spam.

Related Words

Explore Spanish by topic

SpanishNow

Spanish Filler Words: 15 Ways to Sound Natural

Spanish filler words like pues, o sea, and vale make you sound natural, not robotic. Learn 15 muletillas sorted by job, by region, and when not to use them.

June 9, 2026 6 min read

SpanishNow

Por vs Para in Spanish: One Mental Model, No Acronyms

Por looks backward at cause and path; para looks forward at goal and destination. Master por vs para in Spanish with one mental model — no acronyms needed.

June 3, 2026 6 min read

SpanishNow

Spanish Diminutives: What -ito and -ita Really Mean

Spanish diminutives rarely mean 'little.' Learn what -ito and -ita really signal — warmth, softening, downplaying — plus the -cito and -ecito formation rules.

June 9, 2026 6 min read

SpanishNow

How to Memorize Spanish Vocabulary Fast (That Sticks)

Memorize Spanish vocabulary fast with a 15-minute daily loop: spaced repetition, frequency-first words, and example-sentence cards that actually stick.

June 9, 2026 6 min read