preocupar

Borrowed from Latin praeoccupō, praeoccupāre (“to preoccupy”).

• (Balearic) IPA^(key): /pɾə.o.kuˈpa/
• (Central) IPA^(key): /pɾə.u.kuˈpa/
• (Valencian) IPA^(key): /pɾe.o.kuˈpaɾ/

preocupar (first-person singular present preocupo, past participle preocupat)

1. to worry, to concern (someone)

• preocupar-se

• ocupar
• preocupació

• preoccupar (obsolete)

Borrowed from Latin praeoccupō, praeoccupāre (“to preoccupy”).

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /pɾjɔkuˈpaɾ/
• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /pɾe.ˌo.ku.ˈpa(ʁ)/, /ˌpɾew.ku.ˈpa(ʁ)/

preocupar (first-person singular present indicative preocupo, past participle preocupado)

1. (intransitive) to worry; to concern (to cause someone, or people in general, to feel worried)

   As taxas de homicídio daqui preocupam.

   The homicide rates in this place are concerning.

2. (takes a reflexive pronoun, intransitive, or transitive with com) to worry (about)

   Não se preocupe com o que seus inimigos dizem.

   Don’t worry about what your enemies say.

• ocupar
• preocupação
• preocupado
• preocupante

Borrowed from Latin praeoccupō, praeoccupāre (“to preoccupy”).

• IPA^(key): /pɾeokuˈpaɾ/

preocupar (first-person singular present preocupo, first-person singular preterite preocupé, past participle preocupado)

1. (transitive) to worry, to concern; to be worrisome to

   Me preocupa que esos muchachos estén afuera.

   It worries me that those guys are outside.

   A la novia de Juan no la preocupaba el chihuahua hasta que empezó a morderle los pies.

   The chihuahua didn't worry Juan's girlfriend until it started biting her feet.

2. (reflexive) to worry, to be worried, to be concerned

   Me preocupo de que esos muchachos están afuera.

   I'm worried about those guys being outside.

   La novia de Juan no se preocupaba del chihuahua hasta que empezó a morderle los pies.

   Juan's girlfriend wasn't worried about the chihuahua until it started biting her feet.

   No te preocupes por los detalles.

   Don't you worry about the details.

As demonstrated in the examples above, the transitive and pronominal intransitive constructions have similar meanings, but subtle differences in their usage[1]:

• The transitive form simply requires a subject and object. Technically this should be a direct object, but it is very common in the Spanish-speaking world to use indirect pronouns.
  • Using a preposition to introduce the subject causing the worry is an example of dequeísmo.
• The pronominal form requires the use of a preposition to clarify what is causing the worry or concern. The most common prepositions used in this situation are por and de. Less common, but still valid, is con.
  • Excluding a preposition to introduce the cause of the worry is an example of queísmo.

• ocupar
• preocupación
• preocupado

• “preocupar” in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014.
• “preocupar” in Diccionario panhispánico de dudas, primera edición, Real Academia Española, 2005.