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ocúpate

o-KOO-pah-teh/oˈkupate/

“ocúpate” means “take care of it” in Spanish (handling a task or responsibility).

take care of it

Also: look after, mind
VerbB1reflexive arinformal
SpainLatin America
A person carefully watering a small potted plant on a wooden table.
gerundocupándose
past Participleocupado
infinitiveocuparse

📝 In Action

Ocúpate de la cena mientras yo limpio la sala.

A2

Take care of dinner while I clean the living room.

No te preocupes por el perro, tú ocúpate de descansar.

B1

Don't worry about the dog, you focus on resting.

Ocúpate de tus asuntos y déjame en paz.

B1

Mind your own business and leave me alone.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • encárgate (take charge)
  • atiende (attend to / look after)

Antonyms

  • desentiéndete (ignore it / wash your hands of it)
  • abandona (abandon)

Common Collocations

  • Ocúpate de lo tuyo – Mind your own business
  • Ocúpate del resto – Take care of the rest

Idioms & Expressions

  • Ocúpate de tus propios asuntos – Don't interfere in things that don't concern you

🔄 Conjugations

subjunctive

imperfect

ellos/ellas/ustedesse ocuparan
yome ocupara
túte ocuparas
vosotrosos ocuparais
nosotrosnos ocupáramos
él/ella/ustedse ocupara

present

ellos/ellas/ustedesse ocupen
yome ocupe
túte ocupes
vosotrosos ocupéis
nosotrosnos ocupemos
él/ella/ustedse ocupe

indicative

preterite

ellos/ellas/ustedesse ocuparon
yome ocupé
túte ocupaste
vosotrosos ocupasteis
nosotrosnos ocupamos
él/ella/ustedse ocupó

imperfect

ellos/ellas/ustedesse ocupaban
yome ocupaba
túte ocupabas
vosotrosos ocupabais
nosotrosnos ocupábamos
él/ella/ustedse ocupaba

present

ellos/ellas/ustedesse ocupan
yome ocupo
túte ocupas
vosotrosos ocupáis
nosotrosnos ocupamos
él/ella/ustedse ocupa
View All Tenses & Moods →

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "ocúpate" in Spanish:

mind→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: ocúpate

Question 1 of 2

Which of these is the correct way to tell a close friend to 'take care of the bill'?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
ocupar(to occupy / to use) — Verb
ocupación(occupation / job) — Noun
ocupado(busy / occupied) — Adjective
desocupado(unemployed / idle) — Adjective
🎵 Rhymes▼
escúpateagrúpate
📚 Etymology▼

From the Latin 'occupare', which means 'to seize' or 'to take possession of'. Over time, it evolved from physically taking a place to 'taking charge' of a task or time.

First recorded: 13th century

Cognates (Related words)

English: occupyFrench: occuper

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'ocúpate' rude?

It depends on your tone! It's a direct command, so it's best used with people you know well. Adding 'por favor' makes it perfectly polite.

What's the difference between 'ocúpate' and 'ocúpese'?

'Ocúpate' is for someone you call 'tú' (informal), while 'ocúpese' is for someone you call 'usted' (formal).