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beschäftigen

occupy

verb buh-SHEF-ti-gen Common
People & Society Work

Also means

employ

Usage Note

beschäftigen means to keep someone busy or to employ them, and reflexively sich beschäftigen mit means 'to occupy oneself with, deal with' a topic. The participle beschäftigt means 'busy'. A firm beschäftigt its workers, so it overlaps with English 'employ'.

Examples

"Ich beschäftige mich mit Musik."

Natural Translation

I'm busying myself with music.

Literal Translation

I occupy myself with music.

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