un poco ocupado
/un poko okupado/from spelling rules
The English phrase 'a little busy' is translated into Spanish as un poco ocupado.
This phrase is used to describe someone who has some work to do and is not completely free.
Which one should you use?
To change the meaning from 'a little busy' to 'very busy', replace un poco with muy to get muy ocupado.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective ocupado must change based on the subject: use ocupada if the person being described is female, and use ocupados if the subject is a group of people.
Did you know?
- Depending on the region, a person who is extremely busy might be described as liado, a term that literally refers to being 'tied up' or 'tangled'.
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, saying estoy un poco ocupado can be a polite way to decline an invitation without saying 'no' directly.
- While ocupado means 'busy' when describing a person, it is also the standard term used to indicate that a telephone line or a bathroom is 'occupied'.
Examples in context
- Estoy un poco ocupado.I'm a little busy.Tatoeba #2430510 by Shishir, translation #1890951 by CK
- Aquí ando un poco ocupado.I'm a little busy here.Tatoeba #3791285 by Seael, translation #2046732 by CK
- Mira, estoy un poco ocupado.Look, I'm a little busy.Tatoeba #2867744 by teskmon, translation #2046748 by CK
- Disculpe, pero lamentablemente estoy un poco ocupado(a) en ese horario.Excuse me, but unfortunately, I am a little busy during that time.
- Me encuentro algo ocupado(a) en este momento, ¿podríamos reprogramar nuestra cita para más adelante?I find myself somewhat busy at the moment, could we reschedule our appointment for later?
- Estoy algo liado(a) estos días, ¿podríamos quedar la próxima semana?I am somewhat tied up these days, could we meet up next week?
- Estoy medio ocupado(a) ahora mismo, pero puedo ayudarte después del almuerzo.I am kind of busy right now, but I can help you after lunch.
- Lo siento, pero estoy un poquito ocupado(a) preparando la cena. ¿Podemos hablar después?I'm sorry, but I am a little bit busy preparing dinner. Can we talk later?
- 6 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
María calls Daniel to see if he wants to go for coffee.
- María¿Quieres ir por un café ahora?Do you want to go for a coffee now?
- DanielNo puedo, estoy un poco ocupado con el trabajo.I can't, I am a little busy with work.
- MaríaEntiendo, te llamo más tarde.I understand, I'll call you later.
- DanielGracias, María. Hasta luego.Thanks, María. See you later.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
