Phrase in 30 Seconds
Use {很|hěn}{忙|máng} to tell people you have a lot on your plate and cannot currently take on more tasks.
- Means: To be very busy or occupied with many tasks.
- Used in: Declining invitations, explaining work delays, or describing a hectic schedule.
- Don't confuse: {很|hěn}{忙|máng} (very busy) with {忙|máng}{着|zhe} (currently doing something).
شرح بمستواك:
المعنى
Indicating a high level of busyness.
خلفية ثقافية
Being busy is often a badge of honor in corporate culture. People often use '忙' to describe a hectic lifestyle, similar to the mainland. The pace is extremely fast; 'busy' is the default state. Used in the same way, often in a mix of English and Chinese.
Tone matters
Ensure you hit the rising tone on {忙|máng} so it doesn't sound like 'blind' ({盲|máng}).
Tone matters
Ensure you hit the rising tone on {忙|máng} so it doesn't sound like 'blind' ({盲|máng}).
اختبر نفسك
Fill in the blank with the correct phrase.
{我|wǒ} ____,{没|méi}{有|yǒu}{空|kòng}。
The context 'no time' implies being busy.
🎉 النتيجة: /1
بنك التمارين
2 تمارين{我|wǒ} ____,{没|méi}{有|yǒu}{空|kòng}。
The context 'no time' implies being busy.
🎉 النتيجة: /2
الأسئلة الشائعة
1 أسئلةYes, but add a polite follow-up.
عبارات ذات صلة
{忙|máng}{死|sǐ}{了|le}
synonymBusy to death
{没|méi}{有|yǒu}{空|kòng}
similarHave no free time
أين تستخدمها
Declining a dinner invite
Friend: Want to eat?
You: {不|bù}{好|hǎo}{意|yì}{思|si},{我|wǒ}{今|jīn}{天|tiān}{很|hěn}{忙|máng}。
Work update
Boss: Is the report done?
You: {我|wǒ}{现|xiàn}{在|zài}{很|hěn}{忙|máng},{下|xià}{午|wǔ}{给|gěi}{你|nǐ}。
احفظها
وسيلة تذكّر
Imagine a person with a heart ({忄}) losing ({亡}) their mind because they have too much work.
ربط بصري
A person juggling 10 clocks while running on a treadmill.
Rhyme
Busy as a bee, {很|hěn}{忙|máng} for me.
Story
Xiao Wang has a big project. His phone rings. He looks at it and sighs. He texts back: '{我|wǒ}{很|hěn}{忙|máng}.' He puts the phone down and keeps working.
In Other Languages
English 'swamped,' Spanish 'estar hasta arriba.' These idioms all use metaphors of being overwhelmed by water or height.
Word Web
تحدٍّ
For one day, whenever someone asks you to do something, use '{我|wǒ}{很|hěn}{忙|máng}' followed by a polite alternative.
Review in 1 day, 3 days, 1 week, and 1 month.
النطق
Third tone, dip down and up.
Second tone, rising pitch.
طيف الرسمية
{我|wǒ}{目|mù}{前|qián}{工|gōng}{作|zuò}{繁|fán}{忙|máng}。 (Professional to casual settings)
{我|wǒ}{很|hěn}{忙|máng}。 (Professional to casual settings)
{我|wǒ}{忙|máng}{死|sǐ}{了|le}! (Professional to casual settings)
{忙|máng}{炸|zhà}{了|le}! (Professional to casual settings)
The character {忙|máng} combines the heart radical and the character for 'lost.' It suggests that when one is busy, their heart is lost in the work.
حقيقة ممتعة
The character {忙|máng} is one of the first 500 characters learned by children.
ملاحظات ثقافية
Being busy is often a badge of honor in corporate culture.
“{他|tā}{是|shì}{个|gè}{工|gōng}{作|zuò}{狂|kuáng},{很|hěn}{忙|máng}。”
People often use '忙' to describe a hectic lifestyle, similar to the mainland.
“{台|tái}{北|běi}{的|de}{人|rén}{都|dōu}{很|hěn}{忙|máng}。”
The pace is extremely fast; 'busy' is the default state.
“{香|xiāng}{港|gǎng}{人|rén}{很|hěn}{忙|máng}。”
Used in the same way, often in a mix of English and Chinese.
“{我|wǒ}{很|hěn}{忙|máng} lah!”
بدايات محادثة
{你|nǐ}{最|zuì}{近|jìn}{忙|máng}{吗|ma}?
أخطاء شائعة
{我|wǒ}{是|shì}{很|hěn}{忙|máng}
{我|wǒ}{很|hěn}{忙|máng}
L1 Interference
In Other Languages
Estoy muy ocupado
Spanish uses a verb for 'to be,' while Chinese does not.
Je suis très occupé
French requires grammatical agreement (masculine/feminine).
Ich bin sehr beschäftigt
German word order changes if you add time markers.
とても忙しいです (Totemo isogashii desu)
Japanese requires a polite copula 'desu' at the end.
أنا مشغول جداً (Ana mashghul jiddan)
Arabic distinguishes gender (masculine/feminine).
{很|hěn}{忙|máng}
None.
너무 바빠요 (Neomu bappayo)
Korean uses honorific endings.
Estou muito ocupado
Portuguese uses 'estar' vs 'ser'.
Spotted in the Real World
“{这|zhè}{周|zhōu}{很|hěn}{忙|máng}。”
Status update.
سهل الخلط
Learners think it means 'very busy'.
{忙|máng}{着|zhe} means 'currently in the middle of doing something'.
الأسئلة الشائعة (1)
Yes, but add a polite follow-up.
usage contexts