עסוק
asúk
The Hebrew word for busy is עסוק (asúk). Wiktionary also lists עָסוּק ('asúq) and עסוקה ('asuqa).
Meaning: engaged or preoccupied (adj)
Ways to say it
| Hebrew | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| עסוק | asúk | |
| עָסוּק | 'asúq | masculine |
| עסוקה | 'asuqa | feminine |
עסוק is used to describe a person who is engaged or preoccupied with tasks. When you want to specify what someone is busy with, use the preposition ב (be) after the adjective, such as in the phrase עסוק ב… (busy with/in).
Which one should you use?
While עסוק describes a person who is preoccupied with tasks, the word עמוס is used to describe a person who is overwhelmed with work or a place that is crowded or overloaded.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective changes based on the gender and number of the person being described. Use עָסוּק for a masculine singular subject, עסוקה for a feminine singular subject, עסוקים for a masculine plural subject and עסוקות for a feminine plural subject.
How do you pronounce it?
asúk
Did you know?
- If you are describing a phone line or a digital connection that is busy, you use the word תפוס (taken/occupied) rather than עסוק.
- The word עסוק shares a root with עסק, which means 'business' or 'firm'. In Hebrew, the state of being 'busy' is linguistically tied to the act of conducting business.
- If a person is 'busy' in a way that implies they are deeply immersed or absorbed in a hobby, Hebrew speakers often use שקוע (sunken/immersed) instead of עסוק.
Examples in context
- טום לא היה עסוק.Tom wasn't busy.This sentence shows the negative form of the word עסוק.Tatoeba #3650306 by Eldad, translation #2648910 by CK
- אני אדם די עסוק.I'm a pretty busy person.This sentence uses עסוק to describe a person.Tatoeba #4679887 by fekundulo, translation #2645061 by CK
- אני עסוק כל הזמן.I'm busy all the time.This sentence describes being busy during a continuous period of time using עסוק.Tatoeba #1712045 by MrShoval, translation #253162 by CK
- 376 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Noa calls Daniel to ask if he wants to go for a walk.
- נועה Noaהיי דניאל, אתה עסוק עכשיו?Hai Daniel, ata asuk achshav?Hi Daniel, are you busy now?
- דניאל Danielכן, אני קצת עסוק עם העבודה.Ken, ani ktsat asuk im ha-avoda.Yes, I am a bit busy with work.
- נועה Noaאולי נלך לטייל מאוחר יותר?Ulai nelech le-tayel me-uachar yoter?Maybe we can go for a walk later?
- דניאל Danielבטח, אני אהיה פנוי בעוד שעה.Betach, ani eheye panui be-od sha'a.Sure, I will be free in an hour.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “busy” translations and entries עסוק, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
