Spanish · Emotions & Descriptions
"Busy" in Spanish: ocupado/a
ocupado/a
Busy in Spanish is ocupado or ocupada. Say Estoy ocupado ahora. Ella está ocupada. Soften with un poco ocupado.
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How to pronounce ocupado/a
Say it
oh-koo-PAH-doh / oh-koo-PAH-dah
/o.ku.ˈpa.ðo/, /o.ku.ˈpa.ða/
oh-koo-PAH-doh / oh-koo-PAH-dah. Stress PAH.
"Busy" in Spanish: quick reference
| Spanish | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| ocupado | busy (masc.) With estar for people’s schedules. | With estar for people’s schedules. |
| ocupada | busy (fem.) Feminine form. | Feminine form. |
| estoy ocupado/a | I’m busy Polite decline. | Polite decline. |
| día ocupado | busy day Schedule talk. | Schedule talk. |
How to use ocupado/a in real life
- 1Work call
Estoy ocupado ahora. ¿Llamo luego?
I’m busy now. Shall I call later?
Estoy ocupado = current schedule.
- 2Friend check-in
Ana está ocupada con el examen.
Ana is busy with the exam.
Ocupada agrees with Ana.
- 3Weekend plan
Tengo un sábado muy ocupado.
I have a very busy Saturday.
Ocupado describes the day.
Mistakes English speakers make with ocupado/a
Incorrect: Ella está ocupado.
Correct: Ella está ocupada.
Agree gender: ocupada with ella.
Incorrect: Estoy busy.
Correct: Estoy ocupado. / Estoy ocupada.
Use ocupado/ocupada, not English busy.
Good to know
Ocupado/a with estar marks a full schedule. Soften refusals with un poco ocupado. A mesa ocupada means a taken table—same word, clear context.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Rescheduling a coffee meet-up
ChatPal
¿Estás ocupado esta tarde?
Are you busy this afternoon?
You
Sí, ocupado hasta las seis.
Yes, busy until six.
ChatPal
Entonces cenamos. Menos ocupado.
Then let’s do dinner. Less busy.
You
Me sirve. Avisa el lugar.
Works for me. Tell me the place.
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 Spanish
How does gender work?
Ocupado (m.), ocupada (f.), plurals ocupados / ocupadas.
Ser or estar?
Estar + ocupado for being busy now.
I’m a little busy?
Estoy un poco ocupado / ocupada.
Busy day?
Un día ocupado.
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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