Significado
Expressing a busy schedule
Contexto cultural
The 'Tidsklemma' (time squeeze) is a major cultural topic. Being busy is often discussed in the media as a health risk but also a sign of a full life. Norwegians value efficiency. Saying 'Jeg har mye å gjøre' is a valid reason to skip a non-essential meeting without being seen as lazy. It is considered polite to use 'litt' (a little) to soften the phrase when declining an invitation, even if you are actually very busy. During 'eksamenstiden', this phrase is the unofficial motto of all Norwegian universities.
Softening the blow
Add 'litt' (a little) before 'mye' to sound more polite when saying no.
Don't forget the 'å'
Without the 'å', the sentence is grammatically broken. It's like saying 'I have much do'.
Significado
Expressing a busy schedule
Softening the blow
Add 'litt' (a little) before 'mye' to sound more polite when saying no.
Don't forget the 'å'
Without the 'å', the sentence is grammatically broken. It's like saying 'I have much do'.
The 'Hatt' trick
Use 'Jeg har hatt mye å gjøre' (I have had...) to explain why you haven't called or texted lately.
The Busy Humbug
In Norway, complaining about being busy is a common way to bond with colleagues.
Ponte a prueba
Fill in the missing word to say 'I have a lot to do today.'
Jeg ___ mye å gjøre i dag.
We use the verb 'å ha' (to have) in this collocation.
Which sentence is the most natural way to say 'I am busy'?
Velg riktig setning:
'Jeg har mye å gjøre' is the standard idiomatic expression.
Complete the dialogue with the correct form.
A: Vil du bli med på kino? B: Beklager, jeg ___ ___ ___ gjøre.
The phrase is 'har mye å gjøre'.
Match the phrase to the situation.
You are at work and your boss gives you a 5th task.
This expresses that your workload is already high.
🎉 Puntuación: /4
Ayudas visuales
Banco de ejercicios
4 ejerciciosJeg ___ mye å gjøre i dag.
We use the verb 'å ha' (to have) in this collocation.
Velg riktig setning:
'Jeg har mye å gjøre' is the standard idiomatic expression.
A: Vil du bli med på kino? B: Beklager, jeg ___ ___ ___ gjøre.
The phrase is 'har mye å gjøre'.
You are at work and your boss gives you a 5th task.
This expresses that your workload is already high.
🎉 Puntuación: /4
Preguntas frecuentes
10 preguntasYes, but 'opptatt' often means you are physically doing something right now, while 'mye å gjøre' refers to your general workload.
Usually, yes. You wouldn't say 'mange å gjøre' because 'doing' is not countable.
Use 'altfor mye': 'Jeg har altfor mye å gjøre.'
No, it's very neutral. To be extra polite, add 'Beklager' (Sorry) at the start.
'Mye' is 'a lot', 'veldig mye' is 'very much'.
Yes: 'Jeg hadde mye å gjøre i går.'
You can say 'Jeg har sykt mye å gjøre' (I have sickly much to do).
Yes, you can specify the task: 'Jeg har mye å gjøre med prosjektet.'
In Norwegian, 'gj' at the start of a word is almost always pronounced as a 'j' sound.
Yes, it is universal across all dialects.
Frases relacionadas
å ha det travelt
similarTo be in a hurry
å være opptatt
synonymTo be occupied
å ha hendene fulle
idiomTo have one's hands full
å stå på
builds onTo work hard
å ha lite å gjøre
contrastTo have little to do
