preoccuparsi

Preoccuparsi is an Italian pronominal verb meaning to become worried or to be concerned. It is used when the subject experiences worry about a person, a situation, or an outcome. The verb can also govern a prepositional phrase to specify what is causing the concern, often with di (to worry about) or con/che clauses (that something happens).

Etymology and usage notes: preoccuparsi comes from the verb preoccupare, which in turn derives from Latin praecoccupāre, meaning “to seize beforehand.” The reflexive form emphasizes the subject’s own engagement in the feeling of worry. The related transitive verb preoccupare means “to worry someone or something” (e.g., avere preoccupazioni per qualcuno or qualcosa).

Conjugation and forms: preoccuparsi is conjugated like a regular -are verb, with subject pronouns and the auxiliary essere in compound tenses. Present indicative: io mi preoccupo, tu ti preoccupi, lui/lei si preoccupa, noi ci preoccupiamo, voi vi preoccupate, loro si preoccupano. Passato prossimo: mi sono preoccupato (masc.) / mi sono preoccupata (fem.). Other tenses follow the standard reflexive patterns: imperfecto, futuro, condizionale, and the presente e passato del congiuntivo (es. che io mi preoccupi; che lui si preoccupasse).

Usage notes: common expressions include mi preoccupo per qualcuno/qualcosa (I worry about someone/something) and non ti preoccupare (don’t worry). The verb is often used with che clauses: mi preoccupa che tutto vada storto; or with di: mi preoccupo di questa situazione. It is slightly more formal than colloquial alternatives like preoccuparsi, but widely understood in everyday Italian.

See also: preoccupazione, preoccupare.