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FRENCH VERB

s'occuper de

to look after

  • Regular -er verb
  • Past participle: occupé de
  • Present participle: s’occupant de

Conjugation

Tap any form to hear it. The part that changes is in colour.

Present

Présent · now, habits and facts

  1. je I look after
  2. tu you look after
  3. il, elle, on he/she looks after
  4. nous we look after
  5. vous you look after
  6. ils, elles they look after

Past

Passé composé · finished actions

  1. je I looked after
  2. tu you looked after
  3. il, elle, on he/she looked after
  4. nous we looked after
  5. vous you looked after
  6. ils, elles they looked after

Imperfect

Imparfait · “used to” and “was …ing”

  1. je I used to look after
  2. tu you used to look after
  3. il, elle, on he/she used to look after
  4. nous we used to look after
  5. vous you used to look after
  6. ils, elles they used to look after

Future

Futur simple · plans; in speech, “je vais parler” is just as common

  1. je I will look after
  2. tu you will look after
  3. il, elle, on he/she will look after
  4. nous we will look after
  5. vous you will look after
  6. ils, elles they will look after

Conditional

Conditionnel · “would”, polite requests

  1. je I would look after
  2. tu you would look after
  3. il, elle, on he/she would look after
  4. nous we would look after
  5. vous you would look after
  6. ils, elles they would look after

Present subjunctive

Subjonctif présent · wishes, doubts, “il faut que …”

  1. je (that) I look after
  2. tu (that) you look after
  3. il, elle, on (that) he/she look after
  4. nous (that) we look after
  5. vous (that) you look after
  6. ils, elles (that) they look after

Imperative

Impératif · requests and orders

  1. tu look after!
  2. nous look after! (let’s)
  3. vous look after! (plural, or formal)

How to use s'occuper de

One sentence for each tense, the way people say it.

  1. Present

    Je m'occupe de ma grand-mère le week-end.

    I look after my grandmother at weekends.

  2. Past

    Qui s'est occupé du chat pendant vos vacances ?

    Who looked after the cat during your holiday?

  3. Imperfect

    Avant, mon père s'occupait du jardin tout seul.

    My father used to look after the garden by himself.

  4. Future

    Je m'occuperai des billets, toi des hôtels.

    I'll take care of the tickets, you the hotels.

  5. Conditional

    Tu t'occuperais des enfants samedi soir ?

    Would you look after the kids on Saturday evening?

  6. Present subjunctive

    Il faut que quelqu'un s'occupe des plantes en août.

    Someone needs to look after the plants in August.

  7. Imperative

    Occupe-toi de tes affaires, s'il te plaît.

    Mind your own business, please.

Good to know

  • S'occuper de works for a person, a job or a problem : je m'en occupe is I'll take care of it.
  • Occupé on its own is busy : la ligne est occupée, je suis occupé.

Where you hear s'occuper de

The lessons that teach a form of it, and how they say it.

French · Intermediate Level 1

  • Je m'occupe des enfants le mercredi. I look after the children on Wednesdays.
  • Emma s'est occupée de mon mari. Emma looked after my husband.
  • Je vais m'occuper de tout ! I'm going to take care of everything!

French · Intermediate Level 2

  • Je m'occupe des enfants le mercredi. I look after the children on Wednesdays.
  • Emma s'est occupée de mon mari. Emma looked after my husband.
  • Je vais m'occuper de tout ! I'm going to take care of everything!
5
Visit the Neighbours

Intermediate Level 1 · C'est Emma qui s'est occupée de lui. · C'est Hugo qui s'est occupé de lui.

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Share Household Chores

Intermediate Level 2 · Tu peux t'en occuper ? · Je m'en occupe ce soir.

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Verbs like this one

The same pattern, on other verbs: regular -er verb.