Learn Spanish (Spain): Tienes mucho miedo y te pones pálido. - You are very afraid and you turn pale.

Tienes mucho miedo y te pones pálido.

You are very afraid and you turn pale.

Breakdown of Tienes mucho miedo y te pones pálido.

Questions & Answers about Tienes mucho miedo y te pones pálido.

Why do we use te pones here to mean "you turn" instead of another verb of change like te vuelves?

The verb ponerse is used specifically for sudden, temporary changes in physical state, health, or mood. Because turning pale is a quick physical reaction that will eventually fade, te pones is exactly what you need.

Why does the sentence use tienes mucho miedo instead of estás muy miedo for "you are very afraid"?

In Spanish, you "have" fear rather than "being" afraid. Since miedo is a noun meaning "fear", you must use the verb tener. Because it is a noun, you also have to modify it with mucho (a lot of) instead of muy (very).

Why is there a te before pones? Can I just say pones pálido?

No, you need the reflexive pronoun te. The basic verb poner just means "to put" or "to place". To express "to become" or "to get" for temporary physical changes, you must use the reflexive form ponerse.

If I am saying this to a woman, does pálido change to pálida?

Yes! Even though it comes right after the verb ponerse, pálido is an adjective describing the subject (you). It must match the gender of the person you are speaking to.