Meaning and Usage
"忙しい" (いそがしい) is an adjective used to describe people or periods of time that are busy or occupied with many tasks. It often refers to a tight schedule or a lack of free time.
Common Contexts
You will hear "忙しい" in everyday conversation when someone talks about their workload, daily schedule, or when they want to explain why they cannot do something.
Collocations and Patterns
- 忙しい時 (いそがしいとき): "when busy" — used to talk about situations during busy times.
- 仕事が忙しい (しごとがいそがしい): "busy with work" — a very common phrase.
- 忙しくて〜できない: "too busy to do ~" — expressing inability due to busyness.
Register and Politeness
"忙しい" is neutral and can be used in both casual and polite speech. To be more polite, you can say "お忙しいですか？" when asking if someone is busy.
Common Mistakes
Learners sometimes confuse "忙しい" with "疲れた" (tired). Being busy does not always mean being tired, so use "忙しい" specifically to describe a busy schedule or situation, not physical exhaustion.