French · Emotions & Descriptions
"Busy" in French: occupé(e)
occupé(e)
Busy in French is occupé (masculine) or occupée (feminine). Je suis occupé means I'm busy. Write the full form with the accent, not occupé(e).
Declining a call
Je suis occupé, je te rappelle ce soir.Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce occupé(e)
Say it
o-kew-PAY
/ɔ.ky.pe/
Occupé: o-kew-PAY. Soft cc like k; final é like ay. Occupée adds a light e.
"Busy" in French: quick reference
| French | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| occupé | busy (m) Masculine adjective. | Masculine adjective. |
| occupée | busy (f) Feminine adjective. | Feminine adjective. |
| être occupé / occupée | to be busy Full phrase. | Full phrase. |
| trop occupé | too busy Stronger decline. | Stronger decline. |
How to use occupé(e) in real life
- 1Declining a call
Je suis occupé, je te rappelle ce soir.
I'm busy—I'll call you back tonight.
Masculine occupé.
- 2Coworker check-in
Elle est occupée jusqu'à dix-huit heures.
She's busy until 6 p.m.
Feminine occupée.
- 3Restaurant seating
Désolé, toutes les tables sont occupées.
Sorry—all the tables are taken.
Plural occupées.
Mistakes English speakers make with occupé(e)
Incorrect: Elle est occupé.
Correct: Elle est occupée.
Feminine needs occupée.
Incorrect: Je suis busy.
Correct: Je suis occupé.
Use occupé, not English busy.
Good to know
Occupé covers people and places (ligne occupée, table occupée). For a softer no, try là tout de suite c'est chaud. On the phone, the busy signal is la tonalité occupée.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Trying to schedule a coffee
ChatPal
Tu es libre jeudi, ou tu es occupé ?
Are you free Thursday, or are you busy?
You
Je suis occupé le matin, libre après quinze heures.
I'm busy in the morning, free after three.
ChatPal
Parfait. Moi je suis occupée avant, libre après.
Perfect. I'm busy before, free after.
You
On se voit à seize heures alors.
We'll meet at four then.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"Busy" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "Busy" in French
How do you say busy in French?
Occupé (m) / occupée (f).
How do you say I'm busy?
Je suis occupé / occupée.
Can occupé describe a table?
Yes: la table est occupée.
How do you pronounce occupé?
o-kew-PAY.
Learn a word, then use it out loud
- Step 1: See it in context
- Step 2: Say it out loud
- Step 3: Get feedback
- Step 4: Use it in real scenarios
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