Phrase in 30 Seconds
A polite, formal way to tell someone you are currently occupied and cannot talk or help at the moment.
- Means: 'I am busy right now' in a polite, formal tone.
- Used in: Office settings, talking to strangers, or formal phone calls.
- Don't confuse: Using this without an apology to a superior can sound slightly blunt.
Explication à ton niveau :
Signification
Informs someone that one is occupied at the moment.
Contexte culturel
The 'Pali-pali' culture means that being busy is often expected. If you say you aren't busy, people might think you aren't working hard enough. However, always soften a refusal with '죄송하지만' to maintain harmony (Inhwa). In many Korean companies, the 'busy' status is a shield. If you look busy, you are less likely to be given extra 'miscellaneous' tasks. '지금 바쁩니다' is a common defensive phrase. On KakaoTalk, leaving someone on 'read' (the number 1 disappears) without replying is rude. It is better to send a quick '지금 바빠서 나중에 연락할게' than to say nothing. When someone tells you they are busy, the polite response is '아, 네. 수고하세요' (Oh, okay. Keep up the good work) or '바쁘신데 실례했습니다' (Sorry for bothering you while you're busy).
The 'Somewhat' Rule
Always add '좀' (a little) to make '지금 좀 바쁩니다'. It sounds much less aggressive and more natural.
Watch the Ending
Using '바쁩니다' in a text to a friend can make them think you are mad at them. Stick to '바빠'.
The 'Somewhat' Rule
Always add '좀' (a little) to make '지금 좀 바쁩니다'. It sounds much less aggressive and more natural.
Watch the Ending
Using '바쁩니다' in a text to a friend can make them think you are mad at them. Stick to '바빠'.
The Polite Exit
If you say you are busy, always try to offer an alternative time to show you still value the person.
Status Messages
This is the perfect phrase for your 'Away' message on any Korean messaging app.
Teste-toi
Complete the sentence in the formal polite style (-ㅂ니다).
죄송합니다. 제가 ( ) 바쁩니다.
The context of 'I'm busy right now' requires the word for 'now', which is '지금'.
Which is the correct formal conjugation of '바쁘다'?
선생님, 저는 오늘 아주 _______.
'바쁘다' is an adjective. To make it formal, you add 'ㅂ니다' to the stem '바쁘'.
Choose the most appropriate response for a professional setting.
Colleague: '김 대리님, 이 서류 좀 봐 주실 수 있어요?' Me: '죄송합니다. _________.'
In a professional setting with a colleague (using titles like 대리님), the formal '바쁩니다' is the most appropriate way to decline.
Match the phrase to the correct situation.
Match '정신이 하나도 없어요' to its best context.
'정신이 없다' implies a level of busyness that is overwhelming or chaotic.
🎉 Score : /4
Aides visuelles
Banque d exercices
5 exercices죄송합니다. 제가 ( ) 바쁩니다.
The context of 'I'm busy right now' requires the word for 'now', which is '지금'.
선생님, 저는 오늘 아주 _______.
'바쁘다' is an adjective. To make it formal, you add 'ㅂ니다' to the stem '바쁘'.
Colleague: '김 대리님, 이 서류 좀 봐 주실 수 있어요?' Me: '죄송합니다. _________.'
In a professional setting with a colleague (using titles like 대리님), the formal '바쁩니다' is the most appropriate way to decline.
Match '정신이 하나도 없어요' to its best context.
'정신이 없다' implies a level of busyness that is overwhelming or chaotic.
🎉 Score : /5
Questions fréquentes
10 questionsNot inherently, but it is very direct. In Korean culture, directness can be seen as blunt, so adding '죄송하지만' (I'm sorry but) is recommended.
Yes, but it's better to say '지금 업무 중이라 조금 바쁩니다' (I'm a bit busy with work right now) to be more specific and respectful.
Both are polite, but '바쁩니다' is more formal (used in presentations, to strangers, or in the military/formal offices), while '바빠요' is standard polite for daily life.
You can say '지금 안 바쁩니다' or '지금 한가합니다'.
This is due to the 'ㅡ' irregular rule. When 'ㅡ' meets '아/어', the 'ㅡ' drops and follows the vowel before it.
It's more natural to say '바쁩니다' or '업무 중입니다'. '바쁜 중' is grammatically okay but less common.
Use '정말 바쁩니다' or the idiomatic '정신이 없습니다'.
No, but it emphasizes that you are busy *right now*, which is useful for declining immediate requests.
Just say '나 지금 바빠'.
No, for a busy street or place, use '복잡하다' (complex/crowded) or '사람이 많다' (many people).
Expressions liées
정신없다
similarTo be hectic/mindlessly busy
한가하다
contrastTo be free/at leisure
시간이 있다
contrastTo have time
업무 중
specialized formIn the middle of work
바빠 죽겠다
builds onTo be busy to death
Où l'utiliser
At the Office
Colleague: 김 대리님, 잠깐 시간 되세요?
Me: 죄송합니다, 제가 지금 바쁩니다. 10분 뒤에 갈게요.
On a Phone Call
Telemarketer: 안녕하세요, 고객님! 좋은 상품이 있어서...
Me: 죄송합니다. 지금 바쁩니다. 끊겠습니다.
In a Cafe (Working)
Stranger: 저기요, 설문조사 좀 해주실 수 있나요?
Me: 아, 지금 바빠서요. 죄송합니다.
With a Teacher
Teacher: 이 문제를 지금 풀어볼까요?
Student: 선생님, 다른 숙제 때문에 지금 좀 바쁩니다.
Street Encounter
Promoter: 잠시만요! 전단지 좀 받아주세요!
Me: 지금 바쁩니다. 수고하세요.
Family Dinner (Phone rings)
Mom: 아들, 밥 먹었니?
Me: 엄마, 나 지금 바빠. 나중에 전화할게!
Mémorise-le
Moyen mnémotechnique
Think of 'Bappeum' (바쁨) sounding like a 'BEEP' on a busy phone line. 'Jigeum' sounds like 'Just-Go'—I'm busy, so just go for now!
Association visuelle
Imagine a person with four arms holding a phone, a coffee, a pen, and a laptop. Above their head is a digital clock showing 'NOW' (지금) and a big red 'BUSY' sign.
Rhyme
지금 바빠, 나중에 봐! (Jigeum bappa, najunge bwa! - I'm busy now, see you later!)
Story
You are at a busy Korean subway station. Someone asks for directions, but your train is leaving in 10 seconds. You point to your watch and say '지금 바쁩니다!' as you dash onto the train.
In Other Languages
In Japanese, 'Ima isogashii desu' (今忙しいです) is almost a direct parallel in both structure and social usage. In English, 'I'm tied up at the moment' carries a similar professional weight.
Word Web
Défi
Set your KakaoTalk or Slack status to '지금 바쁩니다' for one hour of deep work and see how it feels to set that boundary.
Review this phrase on day 1, 3, and 7. Focus on the 'ㅂ니다' conjugation which is the trickiest part for beginners.
Prononciation
The 'j' sound is soft, and the 'eu' is a flat vowel.
The 'pp' is a tensed 'p' sound. The 'ㅂ' before 'ㄴ' is pronounced as 'm'.
Spectre de formalité
지금 바쁩니다. (General statement of busyness)
지금 바빠요. (General statement of busyness)
나 지금 바빠. (General statement of busyness)
나 지금 현생 사느라 바쁨 (Busy living my real life/IRL). (General statement of busyness)
Derived from the native Korean adjective '바쁘다'. In 15th-century Korean, it was written as '바쁘다' and meant 'urgent' or 'strapped for resources'.
Le savais-tu ?
The word '바쁘다' is one of the few adjectives that doesn't have a direct Hanja equivalent that is used as commonly as the native word.
Notes culturelles
The 'Pali-pali' culture means that being busy is often expected. If you say you aren't busy, people might think you aren't working hard enough. However, always soften a refusal with '죄송하지만' to maintain harmony (Inhwa).
“죄송하지만 지금 제가 좀 바쁩니다. (I'm sorry, but I'm a bit busy right now.)”
In many Korean companies, the 'busy' status is a shield. If you look busy, you are less likely to be given extra 'miscellaneous' tasks. '지금 바쁩니다' is a common defensive phrase.
“부장님, 지금 바빠서 이 일은 오후에 하겠습니다. (Manager, I'm busy now so I'll do this in the afternoon.)”
On KakaoTalk, leaving someone on 'read' (the number 1 disappears) without replying is rude. It is better to send a quick '지금 바빠서 나중에 연락할게' than to say nothing.
“지금 바빠! 나중에 톡할게! (I'm busy! I'll text you later!)”
When someone tells you they are busy, the polite response is '아, 네. 수고하세요' (Oh, okay. Keep up the good work) or '바쁘신데 실례했습니다' (Sorry for bothering you while you're busy).
“바쁘신데 실례했습니다. (Sorry for bothering you while you're busy.)”
Amorces de conversation
요즘 많이 바쁩니까?
지금 잠깐 이야기할 수 있을까요?
주말에도 보통 바쁩니까?
Erreurs courantes
지금 바빠요입니다.
지금 바쁩니다.
L1 Interference
지금 바쁘해요.
지금 바빠요 / 바쁩니다.
L1 Interference
지금 바쁩니다 (to a close friend).
나 지금 바빠.
L1 Interference
지금 바쁘세요.
지금 바쁩니다.
L1 Interference
In Other Languages
Estoy ocupado/a
Korean uses speech levels (honorifics) instead of gender agreement.
Je suis occupé(e)
French requires gender agreement in writing and sometimes pronunciation.
Ich bin gerade beschäftigt
German word order is more flexible, but the meaning is identical.
今、忙しいです
Japanese uses 'desu' after the dictionary form, while Korean conjugates the verb stem itself.
أنا مشغول (Ana mashghool)
Arabic is highly gendered; Korean is not.
我现在很忙 (Wǒ xiànzài hěn máng)
Chinese lacks the complex honorific verb endings found in Korean.
Estou ocupado
Portuguese uses the temporary 'to be' verb (estar), whereas Korean just uses the adjective.
Я сейчас занят (Ya seychas zanyat)
Russian adjectives change based on gender and number.
Spotted in the Real World
“부장님, 지금 바쁩니다. 나중에 보고하겠습니다.”
In the hectic Sales Team 3 office, the manager tells his superior he's too busy to report immediately.
“나 지금 바빠요. 끊어!”
Se-ri is on a business call while trying to manage a crisis.
“나 지금 좀 바빠. 나중에 전화할게.”
A song about the modern struggle of being too busy for relationships.
Facile à confondre
Learners often use this to say 'I am busy' because they hear it often.
'-세요' is only for asking others. Never use it for yourself.
Both can mean 'urgent'.
'바쁘다' is about your schedule; '급하다' is about the situation being an emergency.
Questions fréquentes (10)
Not inherently, but it is very direct. In Korean culture, directness can be seen as blunt, so adding '죄송하지만' (I'm sorry but) is recommended.
cultural usageYes, but it's better to say '지금 업무 중이라 조금 바쁩니다' (I'm a bit busy with work right now) to be more specific and respectful.
usage contextsBoth are polite, but '바쁩니다' is more formal (used in presentations, to strangers, or in the military/formal offices), while '바빠요' is standard polite for daily life.
grammar mechanicsYou can say '지금 안 바쁩니다' or '지금 한가합니다'.
basic understandingThis is due to the 'ㅡ' irregular rule. When 'ㅡ' meets '아/어', the 'ㅡ' drops and follows the vowel before it.
grammar mechanicsIt's more natural to say '바쁩니다' or '업무 중입니다'. '바쁜 중' is grammatically okay but less common.
practical tipsUse '정말 바쁩니다' or the idiomatic '정신이 없습니다'.
practical tipsNo, but it emphasizes that you are busy *right now*, which is useful for declining immediate requests.
usage contextsJust say '나 지금 바빠'.
usage contextsNo, for a busy street or place, use '복잡하다' (complex/crowded) or '사람이 많다' (many people).
common mistakes
