preocupaba

pre-oh-koo-BAH-bah/pɾe.o.kuˈpa.βa/

“preocupaba” means “was worrying” in Spanish (Ongoing concern in the past).

was worrying, used to worry

Also: caused concern

VerbA2regular ar

A small child character sitting alone on a wooden bench, looking worried and holding their head in their hands. A single, small, stylized dark raincloud floats directly above the child's head, symbolizing ongoing worry.

infinitivepreocupar

gerundpreocupando

past Participlepreocupado

📝 In Action

Antes, el futuro no me preocupaba mucho.

Before, the future didn't worry me much.

Ella me preocupaba porque no contestaba mis llamadas.

She was worrying me because she wasn't answering my calls.

Cuando era niño, la oscuridad me preocupaba.

When I was a child, the dark used to worry me.

Word Connections

Synonyms

inquietaba (was unsettling/worrying)
angustiaba (was distressing)

Antonyms

calmaba (was calming)

Common Collocations

me preocupaba mucho – it worried me a lot
lo que me preocupaba – what worried me

🔄 Conjugations

indicative

present

él/ella/ustedpreocupa

yopreocupo

túpreocupas

ellos/ellas/ustedespreocupan

nosotrospreocupamos

vosotrospreocupáis

imperfect

él/ella/ustedpreocupaba

yopreocupaba

túpreocupabas

ellos/ellas/ustedespreocupaban

nosotrospreocupábamos

vosotrospreocupabais

preterite

él/ella/ustedpreocupó

yopreocupé

túpreocupaste

ellos/ellas/ustedespreocuparon

nosotrospreocupamos

vosotrospreocupasteis

subjunctive

present

él/ella/ustedpreocupe

yopreocupe

túpreocupes

ellos/ellas/ustedespreocupen

nosotrospreocupemos

vosotrospreocupéis

imperfect

él/ella/ustedpreocupara

yopreocupara

túpreocuparas

ellos/ellas/ustedespreocuparan

nosotrospreocupáramos

vosotrospreocuparais

View All Tenses & Moods →

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "preocupaba" in Spanish:

caused concern→was worrying→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: preocupaba

Question 1 of 2

Which sentence correctly uses 'preocupaba' to mean 'The noise was worrying me'?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼

preocupar(to worry (someone)) — Verb

preocupación(worry, concern) — Noun

preocupado/a(worried) — Adjective

🎵 Rhymes▼

cantaba llevaba

📚 Etymology▼

The verb comes from the Latin *praeoccupare*, meaning 'to seize or take possession of beforehand.' In Spanish, this evolved to mean 'to take possession of the mind'—or, simply, 'to worry.'

First recorded: 15th century

Cognates (Related words)

Portuguese: preocupavaItalian: preoccupava

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Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know if 'preocupaba' means 'I worried' or 'He/She/It worried'?

You need to look at the context of the sentence. If there is no subject pronoun, the person is usually 'él, ella, or usted' (he, she, or formal you). If the sentence starts with 'Yo,' then it means 'I worried (someone else).'

What is the difference between 'preocupaba' and 'me preocupaba'?

'Preocupaba' (without 'me') means 'it/he/she was worrying someone else.' 'Me preocupaba' means 'it was worrying me.' The word 'me' shows who was receiving the worry.