Lo siento, Chris está ocupado.
Sorry, Chris is busy.
A girl asks about Chris in the school hallway, and his friend brushes her off: está ocupado means he has no time for her right now.
From Jóvenes y brujas · Spanish audio
Spanish vocabularyA1 · Beginner
How to say "busy" in Spanish
ocupado
adjectivefeminine: ocupadaplural: ocupadosused with estar
"Busy" in Spanish is ocupado, or ocupada for a woman. Use it with estar: Estoy ocupado, I'm busy. The same word means occupied or taken, for a bathroom or a seat.
Hear "ocupado" in real scenes
One about a guy, one from a woman about herself. Each video starts and stops on that line.
Estoy ocupada.
I'm busy.
Someone looks in at the door, and a woman makes it clear she can't stop now, so the word ends in -a.
From Dr. House · Spanish audio
Busy people, busy phones, taken seats
Where English says busy or taken, Spanish often says ocupado.
| Spanish | English | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Estoy ocupado. | I'm busy. | A woman says Estoy ocupada. |
| El baño está ocupado. | The bathroom is occupied. | The same word for a room in use. |
| ¿Está ocupado este asiento? | Is this seat taken? | If it's free, the answer is No, está libre. |
| Está comunicando. | The line is busy. | Spain. In Latin America: La línea está ocupada. |
| un día ajetreado | a busy day | Un día muy ocupado works too. |
Tip: The opposite of ocupado is libre, free: ¿Estás libre el sábado?
Grammar: estar ocupado
Four points to say it right.
Use estar
Being busy right now is a state, so it goes with estar: Estoy ocupado. ¿Estás ocupada?Four endings
ocupado, ocupada, ocupados, ocupadas. Match the person: Ana está ocupada. Estamos ocupados.Busy with something
ocupado con + noun: Estoy ocupado con el trabajo. For an activity, add the -ando/-iendo form: Estoy ocupada estudiando.Ocupado or preocupado
ocupado is about time, preocupado is about worry. One extra syllable changes the meaning.Example sentences
Sentences from the Wordy Spanish course. Tap to listen.
Ahora estoy ocupado: estamos comiendo.
I'm busy right now: we're eating.
No puedo, estoy ocupado.
I can't, I'm busy.
Lo siento, Chris está ocupado.
Sorry, Chris is busy.
¿Estás ocupada?
Are you busy? (to a woman)
Common mistakes
Mistakes learners make with this word, and how to fix them.
✗Soy ocupado (meaning I'm busy now)
✓Estoy ocupado
Being busy is a state, so use estar.
✗Estoy ocupado (said by a woman)
✓Estoy ocupada
The ending follows the speaker's gender.
✗una calle ocupada (meaning lots of traffic)
✓una calle muy transitada
Ocupado is for people and for things in use. A street full of traffic is transitada.
Practice: 3 quick exercises
Free, and you don't need an account.
1 of 3 · Watch and choose
What do you hear in the video?
The other 34 exercises on this topic are in the app.
How to remember it
Ocupado looks like occupied. When you're busy, your time is occupied.
Questions about "busy" in Spanish
How do you say busy in Spanish?
Ocupado, or ocupada for a woman. Use it with estar: Estoy ocupado.
How do you say "I'm busy" in Spanish?
A man says Estoy ocupado and a woman says Estoy ocupada. To soften it, add lo siento or ahora no puedo.
How do you say "the line is busy" in Spanish?
In Spain, Está comunicando. In Latin America, La línea está ocupada.
What's the difference between ocupado and preocupado?
Ocupado means busy, preocupado means worried: Estoy ocupado (no time) vs. Estoy preocupado (I'm worried).
