ocupación
/okupaˈθjon/feminine
The Spanish word for occupation is ocupación.
ocupación refers to an activity or task with which one occupies oneself.
Meaning: activity or task with which one occupies oneself (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
ocupación is a feminine noun, meaning it must be used with feminine articles such as la or unas.
How do you pronounce it?
/okupaˈθjon/
Did you know?
- In many Spanish-speaking countries, someone who occupies a building illegally is called an okupa, a slang term derived from the root of ocupación.
- The word ocupación shares a distant linguistic ancestor with the English verb 'capture', both stemming from the Latin 'capere', meaning 'to take' or 'to seize'.
- When a bathroom is 'occupied' in Spanish, it is described as ocupado, but this can also mean a person is 'busy' or 'taken' in a romantic sense.
Examples in context
- ¿Cuál es tu ocupación?What is your occupation?This is useful for asking about someone's occupation.Tatoeba #1249703 by hayastan, translation #731142 by CM
- La ocupación de Grecia por el Eje duró tres años.The Axis occupation of Greece lasted three years.This sentence illustrates the use of ocupación in the context of a military occupation.Tatoeba #10027831 by manufrutos, translation #8622843 by shekitten
- No discrimines a la gente basándote en su nacionalidad, sexo u ocupación.Don't discriminate against people based on nationality, gender, or occupation.This provides an example of using ocupación in a sentence regarding non-discrimination.Tatoeba #1249848 by hayastan, translation #241433 by CM
- Mi hermana es médica en un hospital reconocido.My sister is a doctor in a renowned hospital.
- Mi padre es ingeniero civil y diseña puentes.My father is a civil engineer and designs bridges.
- La abogada defiende los derechos de los más vulnerables.The lawyer defends the rights of the most vulnerable.
- Mi vecino es arquitecto y construye edificios impresionantes.My neighbor is an architect and constructs impressive buildings.
- Mis padres son profesores de historia en la universidad.My parents are history professors at the university.
- Mi amiga es cocinera en un restaurante famoso.My friend is a cook in a famous restaurant.
- Me encanta ser escritor y plasmar mis ideas en papel.I love being a writer and putting my ideas on paper.
- 4 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Mateo and Elena are meeting for the first time at a networking event.
- MateoHola, soy Mateo. ¿Y tú cuál eres tu ocupación?Hi, I'm Mateo. And you, what is your occupation?
- ElenaHola, Mateo. Soy Elena y mi ocupación es la arquitectura.Hi, Mateo. I'm Elena and my occupation is architecture.
- MateoQué interesante, es una ocupación muy creativa.How interesting, it is a very creative occupation.
- ElenaSí, me encanta mi ocupación.Yes, I love my occupation.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “occupation” translations and entries ocupación, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ocupación, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
