verb
to employ, to occupy (oneself)
B1
Beschäftigen: to employ; to occupy (oneself). Regular weak verb, auxiliary haben; participle beschäftigt. Can be transitive ('jemanden beschäftigen' = to employ someone) or reflexive ('sich beschäftigen mit' = to occupy oneself with something). Not separable. Use reflexive with preposition mit for the object of engagement.
Examples
Die Firma beschäftigt fünf neue Mitarbeiter.
The company employs five new employees.
Ich habe mich den ganzen Tag mit Arbeit beschäftigt.
I was busy with work all day.
In meiner Freizeit beschäftige ich mich gern mit Fotografie.
In my free time I like to occupy myself with photography.
Details
Mnemonics
picture a manager giving tasks to people (employing) and someone reading a book to keep themselves occupied
sounds like 'busy-fit-igen' — think 'busy' to remember 'be-schäftigen' (to keep busy or employ)
Notes
Can be transitive ('jemanden beschäftigen' = to employ) or reflexive ('sich beschäftigen mit' = to occupy oneself).