Тhe verbs: занимать and заниматься

[david-us.livejournal.com]

I would appreciate it if some of you native speakers could give me several example sentences (with the English translation) using both of the verbs занимать and заниматься. Try to use the verbs in their most common usage. I'm particularly interested in any direct objects associated with занимать. I'm trying to differentiate between the two. I realize that one is reflexive - but I'm still having difficulties.

Thanks!

David Emerling
Memphis, TN
 

Comments

[trepang.livejournal.com]

занимать должность - to fill a post
занимать позицию - to take a stand, position
занимать разговорами - to entertain with talks
занимать деньги - to borrow money
занимать первое место - to take first place, to win
занимать внимание - to dominate over someone's thoughts
что-то занимает время - something takes time
кто-то занимает чье-то время - somebody fills someone's time with himself, employs someone's time

***

заниматься - 1. to learn, to study, to practice; 2. to flare, to catch fire, to set up on fire
заниматься делом - to be occupied with some business
заниматься наукой - to be occupied with science
заниматься любовью - to make love, to have sex
заниматься спортом - to go in for sport
заниматься проблемой - to handle a problem, to research a problem

[kehlen-crow.livejournal.com]

The first two that came into my head,

занимать деньги - loan money
заниматься английским/французским - study English/French

then,

занимать помещение/положение (especially, занимать высокое положение) - to occupy some premise/position (high position)
занимать кого-либо разговорами - entertain/occupy someone with conversation

заниматься собой - be occupied (preoccupied in some situations) with yourself /educate(better) yourself

[http://users.livejournal.com/_christine/]

They taught us in first and second year that заниматься was "to be occupied with something" and you'd put the something in the instrumental case, but to study you'd just say я занимаюсь. They told us you could use this with hobbies, sports, and activities. So I go to Russia, and when I learned that "to make love" was a заниматься phrase, my maturity deficient self thought it was so funny that it had the "hobby structure", since the English way of thinking makes it a possession or creation.

Just my 2 cents.

[andrey-bessonov.livejournal.com]

Well, trepang has the example "заниматься делом - to be occupied with some business", so you see - it's not all beer and skittles... a Serious Thing ))))

[andrey-bessonov.livejournal.com]

afaik, "занимать деньги" in educated speech means only "to borrow money", not "to lend money"; the latter use is not really correct. "to lend money" is "одалживать деньги".

[oryx_and_crake]

занимать деньги - to borrow money
одалживать деньги - to loan money
заниматься собой - to take care of oneself (as in maintain one's body fitness, attend hairdresses and spas, etc.)

[trepang.livejournal.com]

I'd say not a 'hobby stuctrure', but rather an 'occupation structure'

[zauberer.livejournal.com]

занимать что-либо (direct object) - занимать деньги (to borrow money), занимать пространство (to fill space), занимать должность (to fill a post)

занимать кого-либо (direct object) чем-либо (indirect object) - занимать детей играми (to occupy children with games?), rarely used in constructions like this, more often in form of an adjective as in "я занят делом" (I'm occupied [with something important to do])

заниматься чем-либо (indirect object) - see above in trepang's reply.

[kehlen-crow.livejournal.com]

Thank you, I always mix up the first two. :/

[umitorio.livejournal.com]

Занимать время - to take time

занимать(ся)

[memphis9535.livejournal.com]

занимать город, крепость (military) to capture town, fortress,to conquer
заниматься (посвящать себя) to devote oneself to...
Весь день она занималась собой All day long she devoted much attention to her person.
заниматься хозяйством to be occupied with house-holds

[surasure.livejournal.com]

and another very common use: занимать место (шкаф занимает в комнате много места) to occupy place / space

and another one which sounds the same: займи мне место! which is "please hold a place / seat for me!"