Nihongo

Word Detail

Romaji:

Japanese:

Kana:

ISOGA

SHI

I

Meaning:busy
Level:N5 High
Lexical Category:I-Adjective (イ形容詞)
Word Images
Related Kanjis
Adjective Conjugation

Basic Conjugation

Dict-form
(辞書形)
いそがしい忙しい
Polite-form
(丁寧形)
忙しいです
Connect-form
(連用形)
忙しく + <Verb>
Not-form
(否定形)
忙しくない

Advanced Conjugation

Past-form
(過去形)
忙しかった
Terminal-form
(終止形)
忙しい
If-form
(仮定形)
忙しければ
Noun-form
(名詞形)
忙しさ
AI Explanation
Meaning

The Japanese word 忙しい (いそがしい, *isogashii*) primarily means "busy," "occupied," or "hectic." It describes a state of having a lot to do, being actively engaged in tasks, or experiencing a lack of free time. It can refer to being busy with work, studies, chores, social engagements, or anything that demands one's time and attention. 忙しい can also imply a feeling of being rushed or under pressure due to the numerous tasks at hand.

Examples

⚫︎今日は仕事が忙しいです。 Translation: I am busy at work today. ⚫︎週末は家族と出かけるので、忙しくなります。 Translation: I will be busy because I will go out with my family on the weekend. ⚫︎彼はいつも忙しいです。 Translation: He is always busy.

Usage

⚫︎You use 忙しい to describe your own or someone else's state of being busy. ⚫︎It's frequently used in daily conversations, especially when discussing work, school, or personal schedules. ⚫︎You can use it to decline invitations or explain why you can't attend an event. For example, "すみません、今日は忙しいです。" (Sumimasen, kyō wa *isogashii* desu. - I'm sorry, I'm busy today.) ⚫︎The verb form 忙しい can be modified by adverbs to express the degree of busyness (e.g., とても忙しい - very busy, 少し忙しい - a little busy). ⚫︎忙しい is an adjective, so it conjugates to reflect tense and politeness. For instance, 忙しいです ( *isogashii* desu - is busy / am busy) and 忙しくなかった (*isogashiku* nakatta - wasn't busy).

Notation

⚫︎The word 忙しい is typically written with the kanji combined with the hiragana しい. ⚫︎The hiragana reading is いそがしい. ⚫︎The okurigana (the suffix hiragana) is しい.

Synonyms

⚫︎多忙な (*tabō na*) - Very busy, hectic (more formal) ⚫︎忙しい (*isogashii*) - Busy ⚫︎込み合う (*komiau*) - Crowded, busy (often used for places)

Antonyms

⚫︎暇な (*hima na*) - Free, not busy, having spare time. ⚫︎手空き (*teaki*) - Free, available

Example Sentence 1

来週は試験があるので、とても忙しいです。 ・Translation: Because I have an exam next week, I am very busy. ・Explanation: This sentence describes being busy due to preparing for an exam.

Example Sentence 2

彼女はいつも仕事で忙しいようです。 ・Translation: It seems she is always busy with work. ・Explanation: This sentence describes someone's perceived state of busyness related to their job.

Etymology

The kanji is composed of two parts: (kokoro, heart/mind) and (nakunaru, to disappear/lose). Combined, it suggests a state where the heart/mind is lost or overwhelmed, reflecting the feeling of being occupied and pressed for time.

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