difference between Temer and Tener miedo.

Question

I thought when expressing fear of something you had to say " I have fear of" using the conjugations of tener, but then i read the use of it with the conjugations of temer....which one is correct.

I've only seen it used with tener, but now i see it being used with the other as well

shouldnt the phrase "she is afraid of fire" be "Ella tiene miedo de fuego"?

Answer 1

Temer and tener miedo have the same connoation, they refer to more deep seated fears and phobia Asustar, from what I have gathered is more like momentary fears like when something or something startles. Technically tener miedo means to be afraid.

Answer 2

Temer in some contexts also means "to suspect" or "to believe" (sospechar o creer); I found out that temer is a bit more formal than tener miedo.