Learn Hardcore Spanish (Latin America): Intento no entrar en pánico cuando hay un temblor. - I try not to panic when there is an earthquake.

intento = I try (1st person singular)
yo is optional and only added for emphasis or contrast:
- Yo intento no entrar en pánico, pero ellos sí se asustan.

So intento no entrar en pánico is completely normal and natural.

Why is it intento no entrar and not intento no entro?

After certain verbs like intentar, the next verb must be in the infinitive (the base form):

intentar + infinitive = to try to do something
- Intento estudiar. = I try to study.
- Intento dormir temprano. = I try to sleep early.

So you say:

✅ Intento no entrar en pánico.
❌ Intento no entro en pánico.

Using entro would break the intentar + infinitive pattern.

Can I say intento de no entrar en pánico?

No, not in this meaning.

As a verb, intentar is followed directly by the infinitive, with no preposition:
- ✅ Intento no entrar en pánico.
- ❌ Intento de no entrar en pánico.

You do see intento de when intento is a noun, not a verb:

Hizo un intento de no entrar en pánico.
(He/She made an attempt not to panic.)

So in your sentence, intento is clearly a verb, so no de.

Could I say No intento entrar en pánico instead of Intento no entrar en pánico?

Grammatically, both are correct, but they don’t mean the same thing:

Intento no entrar en pánico.
= I try *not to panic.*
(My goal is to avoid panicking.)
No intento entrar en pánico.
= I’m *not trying to panic.
(I’m not making an effort *to panic — which sounds odd logically.)

In normal conversation about earthquakes, people mean the first idea: making an effort not to panic, so Intento no entrar en pánico is the natural one.

Could I use tratar de or procurar instead of intentar?

Yes, they are common alternatives, with small nuances:

Tratar de + infinitive
- Trato de no entrar en pánico cuando hay un temblor.
  Very common in Latin America, often slightly more informal.
Procurar + infinitive
- Procuro no entrar en pánico cuando hay un temblor.
  Sounds a bit more formal or careful, like “I make an effort to avoid panicking.”

All three work:

Intento / Trato de / Procuro no entrar en pánico…

Why is it entrar en pánico instead of using a verb like panicar?

Standard Spanish does not use a regular verb like panicar the way English uses to panic. Instead, it uses expressions:

entrar en pánico = to go into a panic / to panic
ponerse nervioso = to get nervous
asustarse = to get scared

So:

Intento no entrar en pánico. = I try not to panic.
Intento no ponerme nervioso. = I try not to get nervous.

You might see or hear panique / paniqueo / paniqueado in some places, but those are colloquial or regional, not standard everywhere.

Why is the preposition en used in entrar en pánico?

Because Spanish often uses the pattern:

entrar en + state / condition

Examples:

entrar en pánico – to go into panic
entrar en crisis – to go into crisis
entrar en calor – to warm up
entrar en razón – to come to one’s senses

So entrar en pánico follows that pattern: to enter (into) a state of panic.

Why is it cuando hay un temblor and not cuando es un temblor?

Spanish uses haber (hay) to talk about the existence or occurrence of events:

Hay un temblor. = There is an earthquake / tremor.
Hay una fiesta. = There is a party.
Hay un problema. = There is a problem.

Using ser (es) would normally describe identity or characteristics, not existence, so:

❌ Cuando es un temblor – sounds wrong in this context.

To say when there is an earthquake, you must use hay:

✅ cuando hay un temblor

Could I say cuando tiembla instead of cuando hay un temblor?

Yes, and it’s very natural, especially in seismic countries:

Intento no entrar en pánico cuando tiembla.
Literally: I try not to panic when it shakes.

Nuance:

cuando hay un temblor – focuses on the event (a tremor).
cuando tiembla – focuses on the action (the ground/earth shaking).

Both are common and correct.

What’s the difference between temblor and terremoto in Latin America?

Usage varies by country, but generally:

temblor
- Often used for smaller or medium earthquakes.
- Sounds a bit less alarming: “a tremor.”
terremoto
- Often used for strong or very strong earthquakes.
- Sounds more serious.

In everyday speech, people may still mix them or just say temblor for almost any shake. The sentence:

Intento no entrar en pánico cuando hay un temblor.

sounds like talking about the more common, not necessarily catastrophic, shakes.

Why do we use hay (indicative) and not haya (subjunctive) after cuando?

Because the sentence describes a general, habitual situation, not a specific future one.

Cuando hay un temblor, intento no entrar en pánico.
= Whenever there’s a tremor, I try not to panic.
(General rule, repeated habit → indicative: hay)

Compare:

Cuando haya un temblor, intenta no entrar en pánico.
= When there is a tremor (in the future), try not to panic.
(Unreal / future event → subjunctive: haya)

So here, hay is correct because it’s about what you usually do.

Could I say Intento no ponerme nervioso cuando hay un temblor? Is that more natural?

Yes, that’s also very natural:

Intento no ponerme nervioso cuando hay un temblor.
= I try not to get nervous when there’s a tremor.

Nuance:

no entrar en pánico – stronger; more like not to freak out.
no ponerme nervioso – milder; just not to get nervous.

Both are fine; you choose depending on how strong the reaction is.

How would this sentence change if I were talking about the past?

Two common options:

Single specific event in the past
- Intenté no entrar en pánico cuando hubo un temblor.
  I tried not to panic when there was a tremor (that time).
Habitual behavior in the past
- Intentaba no entrar en pánico cuando había un temblor.
  I used to try not to panic whenever there was a tremor.

Intenté / hubo → completed single event.
Intentaba / había → repeated or ongoing situation in the past.

Any pronunciation tips for pánico, entrar, and temblor?

Yes:

pánico: PA-ni-co
- Stress on the first syllable: PA.
- The á shows the stressed syllable.
entrar: en-TRAR
- Stress on the last syllable.
- The r at the end is tapped once in Latin American Spanish.
temblor: tem-BLOR
- Stress on the last syllable.
- The b is soft, similar to a light b/v sound in English.

Putting it together smoothly:

Intento no entrar en pánico cuando hay un temblor.
Try to keep no entrar en flowing together, almost like one group: no-entrar-en.