Readings: ボウ (Onyomi), いそが-しい (Kunyomi)
Meaning: busy, occupied
Formed from 忄 (ritsu-shin-ben, radical for heart/mind, indicating emotional or mental state) and 亡 (bō, meaning “gone” or “perish,” which also acts as a phonetic component). Together, it suggests a mind that is “gone” or “rushing” due to being occupied or overwhelmed.
View JLPT N3 Kanji ListHow to Write – Stroke Order
The kanji 忙 has 6 strokes. It starts with the “ritsu-shin-ben” (忄) radical on the left, followed by the “bō” (亡) component on the right.
Kanji Details
| Radical | 心 (こころ) / 忄 (りっしんべん) |
|---|---|
| Strokes | 6 |
| JLPT Level | N3 |
| Grade | Unassigned (Jōyō Kanji) |
Readings with English Transcription
Onyomi (Chinese readings)
- ボウ (Bō)
Kunyomi (Japanese readings)
- いそがしい (Isogashii)
Common Words Using 忙
Onyomi Readings
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 多忙 | たぼう | very busy, hectic |
| 繁忙 | はんぼう | busy, bustling |
| 忙殺 | ぼうさつ | overwhelmed with work, swamped |
| 繁忙期 | はんぼうき | busy season, peak season |
| 忙中 | ぼうちゅう | in the midst of busyness (as in 忙中閑あり) |
| 急忙 | きゅうぼう | urgency, pressing business |
| 慌忙 | こうぼう | flustered, confused (due to haste/busyness) |
| 忙碌 | ぼうろく | busy, occupied (literary) |
| 農繁期 | のうはんき | busy farming season (uses 繁 but related concept of busy period) |
| 工事多忙 | こうじたぼう | busy with construction work |
Kunyomi Readings
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 忙しい | いそがしい | busy |
| 忙しくなる | いそがしくなる | to become busy |
| 忙しすぎる | いそがしすぎる | too busy |
| 忙しく働く | いそがしくはたらく | to work busily |
| 忙しさ | いそがしさ | busyness (noun) |
| 忙しそう | いそがしそう | looks busy |
| 忙しい合間 | いそがしいあいま | in the middle of a busy schedule |
| 忙しい中 | いそがしいなか | during a busy time |
| 忙しかった | いそがしかった | was busy (past tense) |
| 忙しくない | いそがしくない | not busy (negative form) |
Example Sentences
Japanese: 明日はとても忙しいです。
Kana: あしたはとてもいそがしいです。
Romaji: Ashita wa totemo isogashii desu.
English: Tomorrow will be very busy.
Japanese: 最近、仕事が忙しいですか？
Kana: さいきん、しごとがいそがしいですか？
Romaji: Saikin, shigoto ga isogashii desu ka?
English: Have you been busy with work lately?
Japanese: 週末は忙しかったので、何もできませんでした。
Kana: しゅうまつはいそがしかったので、なにもできませんでした。
Romaji: Shūmatsu wa isogashikatta node, nani mo dekimasen deshita.
English: I was busy on the weekend, so I couldn’t do anything.
Japanese: 彼はいつも忙しそうにしています。
Kana: かれはいつもいそがしそうにしています。
Romaji: Kare wa itsumo isogashisō ni shiteimasu.
English: He always seems busy.
Japanese: 忙しいのに、手伝ってくれてありがとう。
Kana: いそがしいのに、てつだってくれてありがとう。
Romaji: Isogashii noni, tetsudatte kurete arigatō.
English: Thank you for helping me even though you’re busy.
Japanese: 今日は一日中忙しかった。
Kana: きょうはいちにちじゅういそがしかった。
Romaji: Kyō wa ichinichijū isogashikatta.
English: I was busy all day today.
Japanese: 母は毎日忙しく働いています。
Kana: はははまいにちいそがしくはたらいています。
Romaji: Haha wa mainichi isogashiku hataraiteimasu.
English: My mother works busily every day.
Japanese: 年末はいつも多忙になります。
Kana: ねんまつはいつもたぼうになります。
Romaji: Nenmatsu wa itsumo tabō ni narimasu.
English: The end of the year always gets very busy.
Japanese: この時期はどの会社も繁忙期だ。
Kana: このじきはどのかいしゃもはんぼうきだ。
Romaji: Kono jiki wa dono kaisha mo hanbōki da.
English: This season is a busy period for all companies.
Japanese: 忙殺されていて、なかなか時間が取れない。
Kana: ぼうさつされていて、なかなかじかんがとれない。
Romaji: Bōsatsu sarete ite, nakanaka jikan ga torenai.
English: I’m swamped with work, so I can hardly find any time.
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