occupée

Occupée is the feminine singular form of the past participle of the French verb occuper, used as an adjective to express a state of being busy or in use. In everyday language it commonly describes a person who has many tasks or commitments, as in “Elle est occupée” (She is busy). It can also describe something that is currently in use, for example “La salle est occupée” (The room is occupied).

Morphology and grammar: occupée agrees in gender and number with the noun it modifies. The masculine form is occupé, the plural forms are occupés (masculine) and occupées (feminine). As an adjective, occupée can appear in various tenses when formed from the verb occuper, or in static descriptions such as “Elle est occupée” or “La table est occupée.”

Contexts and usage: In ordinary speech, occupée conveys busyness or engagement in tasks. In geopolitical or historical contexts, it appears in phrases like “territoires occupés” (occupied territories) to describe land under foreign control. The past participle also participates in compound tenses with the auxiliary être or avoir, for example “Elle a été occupée” (She has been occupied) or as a descriptive state with être in present tense “Elle est occupée.”

Etymology and related terms: occupée derives from Latin occupāre, via Old French, sharing a root with occupation, occupant, and occupied. Related concepts include occupation as a state of work or residence, and the noun occupier, which designates the one who occupies.

See also: occupation, occupy, occupant, occupied territories.