很忙
hěn máng
The English phrase "very busy" is translated into Chinese as 很忙 (hěn máng).
很忙 is used to describe someone or something that has a lot of things to do or a full schedule.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 很 (hěn), meaning 'very' and 忙 (máng), meaning 'busy'.
How does it change in a sentence?
In Chinese, when using an adjective like 忙 as a predicate, the adverb 很 is almost always used even if the English translation does not strictly require the word 'very'. To say 'not busy', you replace 很 with 不 to get 不忙.
How do you pronounce it?
hěn máng
Did you know?
- While 很忙 is common, people often use the idiom 忙得不可开交 to describe being so busy that they cannot get away or find a moment of peace.
- In some professional contexts, saying you are 很忙 can be a polite way to signal that you are unavailable for social invitations without being rude.
- In Chinese, the word 忙 can also be used as a verb meaning 'to busy oneself with something'. For example, you might say you are 忙 something specific rather than just being 'busy'.
Examples in context
- 我最近很忙。I'm very busy these days.This sentence is useful for showing how to use 很忙 to describe a current state regarding recent time periods.Tatoeba #409710 by egg0073, translation #60801 by CK
- 下个月他会很忙。He will be very busy next month.This sentence shows how to use 很忙 when talking about a future state.Tatoeba #5091211 by mirrorvan, translation #1430141 by CK
- 網站的管理者很忙。The website manager is very busy.This sentence illustrates how to use 很忙 to describe a person's professional status.Tatoeba #6835394 by LeviHighway, translation #7794247 by sharris123
- 我这段时间非常忙碌，几乎没有休息的时间。I am extremely busy during this period, almost no time to rest.
- 最近公司的工作接连不断，让我非常忙碌。Recently, the tasks at the company have been non-stop, making me extremely busy.
- 最近工作忙得不可开交，每天都有很多事要处理。I've been so busy with work lately that there are many things to deal with every day.
- 今天的会场上热火朝天，大家都在忙碌着。The venue today is bustling and busy, everyone is working hard.
- 15 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Junjie calls Zihan to ask if she can hang out.
- 俊杰 Junjie你今天很忙吗？Nǐ jīntiān hěn máng ma?Are you very busy today?
- 梓涵 Zihan我今天很忙，没时间。Wǒ jīntiān hěn máng, méi shíjiān.I am very busy today, I don't have time.
- 俊杰 Junjie好吧，那下次再约。Hǎo ba, nà xià cì zài yuē.Okay, let's meet up next time then.
- 梓涵 Zihan对不起，下次我请你。Duìbuqǐ, xià cì wǒ qǐng nǐ.Sorry, I will treat you next time.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
