Significado
Being too busy to do something.
Contexto cultural
The 'Polish Quarter' (studencki kwadrans) is a cultural tradition where being 15 minutes late is often excused by 'brak czasu' or traffic. In modern Polish offices, 'brak czasu' is often replaced by the English-influenced 'nie mam slotu' (I don't have a slot) or 'jestem w niedoczasie'. Using 'brak czasu' is considered more polite than saying you are tired or uninterested, as it externalizes the reason for refusal. Students frequently use 'brak czasu' during 'sesja' (exam period) to justify not sleeping or eating properly.
The 'Z powodu' trick
If you want to sound very professional, always start your excuse with 'Z powodu braku czasu...'
Genitive Alert
Never say 'brak czas'. It's the most common mistake for beginners. Always 'czasu'!
Significado
Being too busy to do something.
The 'Z powodu' trick
If you want to sound very professional, always start your excuse with 'Z powodu braku czasu...'
Genitive Alert
Never say 'brak czas'. It's the most common mistake for beginners. Always 'czasu'!
Social Softener
Add 'niestety' (unfortunately) before 'brak czasu' to make your refusal sound much warmer.
Ponte a prueba
Fill in the correct form of the word 'czas'.
Przepraszam, mam dzisiaj wielki brak _______.
After 'brak', we always use the genitive case, which for 'czas' is 'czasu'.
Which sentence is the most natural way to decline an invitation due to being busy?
A: Jestem brak czasu. B: Mam brak czasu. C: Brak czasu mam ja. D: Mam czas brak.
In Polish, we use the verb 'mieć' (to have) with 'brak czasu'.
Complete the dialogue.
Marek: Idziemy do kina? Kasia: Nie mogę, z powodu _______ nie zdążę.
'Z powodu' also requires the genitive case, so 'brak' becomes 'braku'.
Match the phrase to the situation.
Situation: You are writing a formal email to your boss explaining why a report is late.
This is the most professional and grammatically correct option for a formal context.
🎉 Puntuación: /4
Ayudas visuales
Formality of 'I'm busy'
Banco de ejercicios
4 ejerciciosPrzepraszam, mam dzisiaj wielki brak _______.
After 'brak', we always use the genitive case, which for 'czas' is 'czasu'.
A: Jestem brak czasu. B: Mam brak czasu. C: Brak czasu mam ja. D: Mam czas brak.
In Polish, we use the verb 'mieć' (to have) with 'brak czasu'.
Marek: Idziemy do kina? Kasia: Nie mogę, z powodu _______ nie zdążę.
'Z powodu' also requires the genitive case, so 'brak' becomes 'braku'.
Situation: You are writing a formal email to your boss explaining why a report is late.
This is the most professional and grammatically correct option for a formal context.
🎉 Puntuación: /4
Preguntas frecuentes
10 preguntasIt is neutral. You can use it with your boss or your best friend.
Yes, 'nie mam czasu' is actually more common in spoken Polish. 'Brak czasu' is slightly more descriptive.
Because the word 'brak' (lack) always requires the genitive case in Polish grammar.
You can say 'Mam totalny brak czasu' or 'Cierpię na kompletny brak czasu'.
'Niedoczas' is more specific to being behind a schedule or deadline, often used in offices.
No, for a battery you would say 'brak baterii' or 'rozładowany'.
The opposite is 'dużo wolnego czasu' (a lot of free time).
No, it's generally considered a polite and standard excuse in Poland.
It's better to say 'brak czasu na spotkanie' or 'nie mam dla ciebie czasu'.
It's pronounced CHA-soo, with a hard 'ch'.
Frases relacionadas
nie mam czasu
similarI don't have time
niedoczas
specialized formBeing behind schedule
urwanie głowy
similarTo be extremely busy/hectic
gonić resztkami sił
builds onTo be running on fumes
mieć czas
contrastTo have time
