I'm nervous
Use this if you are female. Adjectives in Spanish must match the gender of the person.
Literally 'I have nerves.' A very common and natural way to express that you feel nervous.
Means 'I'm anxious.' Use this when you're nervous about a specific future event, like a test or flight.
Means 'I'm restless' or 'uneasy.' Good for describing the physical feeling of nervousness.
I'm nervous about my job interview tomorrow.
She always gets nervous before speaking in public.
Don't be anxious, everything is going to be fine.
My son is very restless about his first day of school.
The phrases 'Estoy nervioso/a' and 'Tengo nervios' are universally understood and used across all Spanish-speaking countries.
The phrases are the same, but you will hear the 'vosotros' form for groups: 'Estáis nerviosos' (You all are nervous).
'Estoy nervioso' and 'Tengo nervios' are both extremely common in everyday conversation.
While 'Estoy nervioso' is standard, you may also hear the more emphatic 'Estoy con unos nervios...' which translates to 'I'm so nervous...'
Both 'Estoy nervioso' and 'Tengo nervios' are used frequently and interchangeably.
Using 'ser' instead of 'estar'. Saying 'Soy nervioso' means 'I am a nervous person' (a personality trait), not 'I feel nervous right now'. For a temporary feeling, always use 'estar'. — Correct: 'Estoy nervioso'. Incorrect: 'Soy nervioso'.
Forgetting gender agreement. The adjective 'nervioso' must change to 'nerviosa' if the speaker is female. — A woman says: 'Estoy nerviosa'. A man says: 'Estoy nervioso'.
Using the noun 'nervio' instead of the adjective 'nervioso'. — Correct: 'Estoy nervioso'. Incorrect: 'Estoy nervio'.