estoy ocupado
/estoi okupado/from spelling rules
The English phrase "I am busy" is translated into Spanish as estoy ocupado.
estoy ocupado is a phrase used to say that you have a lot of work or things to do.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form of the phrase changes based on gender and number. A female speaker uses the feminine form estoy ocupada instead of the masculine estoy ocupado. To say "you are busy" to a friend or peer, use estás ocupado (masculine) or estás ocupada (feminine). In a formal context, use está ocupado or está ocupada. To say "we are busy", use the plural form estamos ocupados for a group of men or mixed or estamos ocupadas for a group of women.
Did you know?
- While ocupado is the standard way to say you are busy, you might hear someone say they are liado in Spain. This comes from the verb liar, which means to tie or knot, suggesting your life is currently tied up in knots of tasks.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, saying estoy ocupado to decline an invitation can sometimes feel quite blunt or even rude. It is often more polite to use a phrase like tengo mucho que hacer or simply say you have a prior commitment.
- If someone is so busy they are completely overwhelmed, they might use the phrase no doy abasto, which literally means 'I cannot supply enough'.
Examples in context
- Dile que estoy ocupado.Tell her that I am busy.This sentence is useful for practicing how to tell someone that you are busy.Tatoeba #1745914 by marcelostockle, translation #1740442 by Amastan
- No puedo ir porque estoy ocupado.I can't go because I am busy.This sentence is useful for explaining why you cannot go somewhere.Tatoeba #2864425 by cueyayotl, translation #4573439 by imjcooper
- En este momento estoy ocupado cocinando.I am busy cooking at the moment.This sentence is useful for describing a specific activity you are busy with.Tatoeba #1558927 by hayastan, translation #257461 by CK
- Lo siento, estoy ocupado/a. Podemos programar la reunión para otro día.I'm sorry, I am busy. We can schedule the meeting for another day.
- 7 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Alejandro is at work and María calls him.
- MaríaHola, Alejandro, ¿puedes hablar?Hello, Alejandro, can you talk?
- AlejandroLo siento, María, ahora estoy ocupado.I'm sorry, María, right now I am busy.
- María¿Estás muy ocupado con el trabajo?Are you very busy with work?
- AlejandroSí, te llamo luego.Yes, I will call 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.
