“Busy” in Japanese is 忙しい (いそがしい), pronounced isogashii.
Pronunciation
The word has 5 beats (morae), each about the same length. Tap a syllable to hear it, or play the whole word:
How to use it
Busy. The kanji combines “heart” and “lose”: losing your heart to busyness.
Example sentences
- 今週は忙しいです。こんしゅうはいそがしいです。I’m busy this week.
- お忙しいところすみません。おいそがしいところすみません。Sorry to bother you when you’re busy.
Conjugation
The most useful forms of 忙しい. The rules are explained in い- vs. な-adjectives.
| Form | Japanese | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Plain | 忙しい いそがしい | busy |
| Polite present | 忙しいです いそがしいです | is busy |
| Negative | 忙しくないです いそがしくないです | isn’t busy |
| Past | 忙しかったです いそがしかったです | was busy |
| Past negative | 忙しくなかったです いそがしくなかったです | wasn’t busy |
| て-form | 忙しくて いそがしくて | busy and… |
| Adverb (く) | 忙しく いそがしく | adverb form (+ verb) |
Quick practice
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Which word means “bright”?
Related words: Adjectives
FAQ
How do you say busy in Japanese?
Busy in Japanese is 忙しい (いそがしい), pronounced “isogashii”.
How do you write busy in Japanese?
It's written 忙しい with kanji, or いそがしい in hiragana. Both are read isogashii.
Is 忙しい on the JLPT?
Yes. 忙しい (isogashii) is a common word at JLPT N5 level, so it's worth learning early.