ocuparse — Spanish conjugation

to take care of, deal with (ocuparse de)

RegularReflexiveocupar → ocuparse

Indicative

Present (Presente) Regular

The present tense is the most versatile tense in Spanish. It covers actions happening right now, habitual actions, and even near-future plans. One form does the work of three English constructions.

Ella habla inglés — She speaks / is speaking English

PronounSpanish
yome ocupo
te ocupas
voste ocupás
él/ella/Ud.se ocupa
nosotrosnos ocupamos
vosotrosos ocupáis
ellos/ellas/Uds.se ocupan

Preterite (Pretérito indefinido) Regular

Used for completed past actions with a defined endpoint — a single event, a series of events, or an action that interrupted another. Common with time expressions like ayer, el lunes, una vez.

Ella habló de ti ayer — She spoke about you yesterday

PronounSpanish
yome ocupé
te ocupaste
voste ocupaste
él/ella/Ud.se ocupó
nosotrosnos ocupamos
vosotrosos ocupasteis
ellos/ellas/Uds.se ocuparon

Imperfect (Pretérito imperfecto) Regular

Describes ongoing or habitual past states — what things were like, background context, what used to happen. Contrasts with the preterite which marks completed events.

Cuando era niño vivía en Valencia — When I was a child I lived in Valencia

PronounSpanish
yome ocupaba
te ocupabas
voste ocupabas
él/ella/Ud.se ocupaba
nosotrosnos ocupábamos
vosotrosos ocupabais
ellos/ellas/Uds.se ocupaban

Conditional (Condicional) Regular

Expresses hypothetical actions, polite requests, and what would happen under certain conditions. Also used for reported speech about the future from a past perspective.

¿Podrías ayudarme? — Could you help me?

PronounSpanish
yome ocuparía
te ocuparías
voste ocuparías
él/ella/Ud.se ocuparía
nosotrosnos ocuparíamos
vosotrosos ocuparíais
ellos/ellas/Uds.se ocuparían

Future (Futuro) Regular

Expresses future actions, predictions, and probability about the present. Formed with the full infinitive as stem for most verbs. In spoken Spanish, ir a + infinitive is often preferred for near future.

Ella hablará en conferencia mañana — She will speak at the conference tomorrow

PronounSpanish
yome ocuparé
te ocuparás
voste ocuparás
él/ella/Ud.se ocupará
nosotrosnos ocuparemos
vosotrosos ocuparéis
ellos/ellas/Uds.se ocuparán

Present perfect (Pretérito perfecto) Regular

A compound past tense linking a past action to the present moment — something that has happened and still feels recent or relevant. More common in Spain than Latin America where preterite is preferred.

Hoy he hablado con el jefe — Today I have spoken with the boss

PronounSpanish
yome he ocupado
te has ocupado
voste has ocupado
él/ella/Ud.se ha ocupado
nosotrosnos hemos ocupado
vosotrosos habéis ocupado
ellos/ellas/Uds.se han ocupado

Pluperfect (Pretérito pluscuamperfecto) Regular

The past of the past — describes an action that was already completed before another past event happened. Always implies a reference point in the past.

Ya había hablado cuando llegaste — She had already spoken when you arrived

PronounSpanish
yome había ocupado
te habías ocupado
voste habías ocupado
él/ella/Ud.se había ocupado
nosotrosnos habíamos ocupado
vosotrosos habíais ocupado
ellos/ellas/Uds.se habían ocupado

Conditional perfect (Condicional perfecto) Regular

Expresses what would have happened — actions that were possible but did not occur, or regrets about the past. Formed with conditional of haber + past participle.

Habría hablado, pero no me dejaron — I would have spoken, but they did not let me

PronounSpanish
yome habría ocupado
te habrías ocupado
voste habrías ocupado
él/ella/Ud.se habría ocupado
nosotrosnos habríamos ocupado
vosotrosos habríais ocupado
ellos/ellas/Uds.se habrían ocupado

Future perfect (Futuro perfecto) Regular

Describes an action that will have been completed by a certain point in the future, or expresses probability about a recent past action.

Para el lunes habré terminado — By Monday I will have finished

PronounSpanish
yome habré ocupado
te habrás ocupado
voste habrás ocupado
él/ella/Ud.se habrá ocupado
nosotrosnos habremos ocupado
vosotrosos habréis ocupado
ellos/ellas/Uds.se habrán ocupado

Subjunctive

Present subjunctive (Subjuntivo presente) Regular

Used in subordinate clauses after expressions of desire, doubt, emotion, necessity, or impersonal statements. Triggered by a change of subject between the main and subordinate clause.

Espero que hable — I hope she speaks

PronounSpanish
yome ocupe
te ocupes
voste ocupes
él/ella/Ud.se ocupe
nosotrosnos ocupemos
vosotrosos ocupéis
ellos/ellas/Uds.se ocupen

Imperfect subjunctive (-ra) (Subjuntivo imperfecto (-ra)) Regular

The past subjunctive used after past main verbs, in if-clauses with conditional, and for polite softening. The -ra form is more common in everyday speech than the -se form.

Si pudiera, lo haría — If I could, I would do it

PronounSpanish
yome ocupara
te ocuparas
voste ocuparas
él/ella/Ud.se ocupara
nosotrosnos ocupáramos
vosotrosos ocuparais
ellos/ellas/Uds.se ocuparan

Imperfect subjunctive (-se) (Subjuntivo imperfecto (-se)) Regular

The alternative past subjunctive form. Interchangeable with -ra in most contexts but slightly more literary or formal. Both forms are grammatically correct in all regions.

Si pudiese, lo haría — If I could, I would do it

PronounSpanish
yome ocupase
te ocupases
voste ocupases
él/ella/Ud.se ocupase
nosotrosnos ocupásemos
vosotrosos ocupaseis
ellos/ellas/Uds.se ocupasen

Perfect subjunctive (Pretérito perfecto de subjuntivo) Regular

A compound subjunctive that expresses completed actions in a subjunctive context — used after present or future main verbs expressing doubt, emotion or desire.

Dudo que ya haya llegado — I doubt she has already arrived

PronounSpanish
yome haya ocupado
te hayas ocupado
voste hayas ocupado
él/ella/Ud.se haya ocupado
nosotrosnos hayamos ocupado
vosotrosos hayáis ocupado
ellos/ellas/Uds.se hayan ocupado

Pluperfect subjunctive (Pluscuamperfecto de subjuntivo) Regular

Expresses what had happened in hypothetical or unreal past contexts — the subjunctive equivalent of the pluperfect. Common in contrary-to-fact past conditions.

Si hubiera hablado, lo habrían creído — If she had spoken, they would have believed her

PronounSpanish
yome hubiera ocupado
te hubieras ocupado
voste hubieras ocupado
él/ella/Ud.se hubiera ocupado
nosotrosnos hubiéramos ocupado
vosotrosos hubierais ocupado
ellos/ellas/Uds.se hubieran ocupado

Other forms

Present progressive (Presente progresivo) Regular

Emphasises that an action is happening right now at this very moment. Less common than in English since the present tense already covers ongoing actions in Spanish.

Estoy hablando contigo — I am speaking with you

PronounSpanish
yome estoy ocupando
te estás ocupando
voste estás ocupando
él/ella/Ud.se está ocupando
nosotrosnos estamos ocupando
vosotrosos estáis ocupando
ellos/ellas/Uds.se están ocupando

Preterite progressive (Pretérito indefinido progresivo) Regular

Describes an action that was in progress throughout a completed past period. Uses the preterite of estar + gerund to emphasise the ongoing nature within a defined timeframe.

Estuvo hablando toda la tarde — He was talking all afternoon

PronounSpanish
yome estuve ocupando
te estuviste ocupando
voste estuviste ocupando
él/ella/Ud.se estuvo ocupando
nosotrosnos estuvimos ocupando
vosotrosos estuvisteis ocupando
ellos/ellas/Uds.se estuvieron ocupando

Imperfect progressive (Pretérito imperfecto progresivo) Regular

Emphasises an ongoing background action using the imperfect of estar + gerund. Layered on top of the imperfect which already conveys continuity — used for extra emphasis on the progressive nature.

Estaba hablando cuando entró — I was speaking when he came in

PronounSpanish
yome estaba ocupando
te estabas ocupando
voste estabas ocupando
él/ella/Ud.se estaba ocupando
nosotrosnos estábamos ocupando
vosotrosos estabais ocupando
ellos/ellas/Uds.se estaban ocupando

Conditional progressive (Condicional progresivo) Regular

Expresses what would be in progress under hypothetical conditions. Uses the conditional of estar + gerund. Less common but used for emphasis on the ongoing nature of a hypothetical action.

Estaría hablando ahora si pudiera — I would be speaking now if I could

PronounSpanish
yome estaría ocupando
te estarías ocupando
voste estarías ocupando
él/ella/Ud.se estaría ocupando
nosotrosnos estaríamos ocupando
vosotrosos estaríais ocupando
ellos/ellas/Uds.se estarían ocupando

Future progressive (Futuro progresivo) Regular

Describes an action that will be in progress at a future point, or expresses probability about an ongoing present action. Uses the future of estar + gerund.

Mañana a esta hora estaré viajando — At this time tomorrow I will be travelling

PronounSpanish
yome estaré ocupando
te estarás ocupando
voste estarás ocupando
él/ella/Ud.se estará ocupando
nosotrosnos estaremos ocupando
vosotrosos estaréis ocupando
ellos/ellas/Uds.se estarán ocupando