바빠요?
bappayo?
The English phrase "are you busy?" is translated into Korean as 바빠요? (bappayo?)
The phrase is used to ask if someone has the time to talk or help at the moment. In Korean, this question is often used as a polite way to preface a request or to see if it is a good time to start a conversation.
Which one should you use?
While 바빠요? is a standard polite way to ask, you can also use 시간 있으세요? (formal) or 시간 있어? (informal) to ask if someone has time. If you want to specifically ask about someone's workload, you might use 일이 많으세요? (formal) or 일이 많아? (informal) to ask if they have a lot of work.
How does it change in a sentence?
The honorific form 바쁘세요? is used when asking someone older or of higher social status if they are busy. The informal form 바빠? is used with close friends or people younger than you.
How do you pronounce it?
bappayo?
When do people say it?
When someone asks you if you are busy, a standard way to answer 'yes' is 네, 바빠요 and a standard way to answer 'no' is 아니요, 안 바빠요.
Did you know?
- The root word 바쁘다 is purely about being busy, but if you use the phrase 정신없이 바빠요, you are saying you are so busy you are literally 'without one's spirit' or 'losing one's mind'.
- When someone asks 바빠요?, answering with a simple 'no' might sound too direct. To sound more natural and polite, Koreans often say 아니요, 괜찮아요 which means 'No, it is fine'.
- Because Korean is highly sensitive to hierarchy, asking a person of much higher status 바빠요? can be a social blunder, as it implies you are treating their time as a peer's rather than a superior's.
Examples in context
- 선생님, 바쁘세요?Teacher, are you busy?
- 친구야, 바빠?Hey, are you busy?
- 지금 좀 바빠요?jigeum jom bappayo?Are you a bit busy right now?
- 혹시 바빠요?hoksi bappayo?Are you busy, by any chance?
- 많이 바빠요?mani bappayo?Are you very busy?
Example conversation
Jihoon calls Seoyeon to ask for some help with a project.
- 지훈 Ji-hun서연 씨, 지금 바빠요?Seoyeon ssi, jigeum bappayo?Seoyeon, are you busy right now?
- 서연 Seo-yeon아니요, 안 바빠요. 무슨 일이에요?aniyo, an bappayo. museun irieyo?No, I'm not busy. What's up?
- 지훈 Ji-hun이것 좀 도와줄 수 있어요?igeot jom dowajul su isseoyo?Can you help me with this?
- 서연 Seo-yeon네, 제가 도와줄게요.ne, jega dowajulgeyo.Yes, I will help you.
