Preoccupava

Preoccupava is the imperfect indicative form of the Italian verb preoccupare in the third-person singular. It translates as “he/she/it was worrying” or “he/she/it used to worry.” The verb is transitive and takes a direct object that signifies what caused the worry (for example, la notizia, la situazione, i tempi). The imperfect tense describes an ongoing or repeated action in the past and is often used to set scenes or describe evolving concern.

Etymology and cognates: preoccupare derives from Latin praeeoccupare, formed from prae- “before” and occupare “to occupy.” The English cognate is preoccupy.

Usage notes: Preoccupava should be distinguished from preoccuparsi, the reflexive form meaning “to worry oneself” or “to become concerned.” Preoccuparsi uses reflexive pronouns (mi preoccupavo, ti preoccupavi, si preoccupava, etc.), while preoccupare takes a direct object (la notizia preoccupava la gente). In Italian, both the transitive and reflexive families are common, with the former focusing on causing concern in others and the latter on personal concern.

Examples:

- La notizia preoccupava i genitori. (The news worried the parents.)

- Ogni giorno una nuova notizia preoccupava i cittadini. (Every day a new piece of news preoccupied the citizens.)

See also: preoccupare, preoccuparsi, preoccupazione, praeeoccupare.