Translation guide
In Japanese, expressing 'urgent business' depends on the context: whether it's a pressing task, an emergency, or a reason for leaving. The most natural expressions often use 急用 (kyūyō) for personal urgent matters, 急ぎの用事 (isogi no yōji) for general urgent errands, or 緊急の用件 (kinkyū no yōken) for formal/business emergencies. Direct translations like 'urgent business' can sound stiff; instead, choose the phrase that matches the situation.
Explaining that you have something urgent to attend to, often used as a polite excuse.
The most common and natural way to say you have an urgent personal matter. Used in both casual and formal settings.
急用ができたので、先に失礼します。
I have an urgent matter to attend to, so I'll be leaving now.
急用で行けなくなりました。
I can't go because something urgent came up.
Literally 'urgent errand'. Slightly more casual than 急用, often used in spoken Japanese.
急ぎの用事があるので、今日は早退します。
I have an urgent errand, so I'm leaving early today.
Means 'pressing business'. More emphatic, used when the matter is truly urgent and cannot wait.
差し迫った用事があるので、すぐに帰らなければなりません。
I have pressing business, so I must go home immediately.
Referring to an urgent business matter, project, or task that needs immediate attention.
Formal term for an urgent business matter. Suitable for professional contexts.
緊急の用件でお電話しました。
I'm calling about an urgent business matter.
緊急の用件があるので、会議を延期してください。
I have an urgent business matter, so please postpone the meeting.
Literally 'urgent work'. Common in office settings when a task has a tight deadline.
急ぎの仕事が入って、残業になりました。
An urgent job came in, so I ended up working overtime.
Adverb meaning 'urgently' or 'ASAP'. Often used in business emails or requests.
Describing a critical emergency that requires immediate action, beyond normal urgency.
Means 'emergency' or 'urgent'. Used for serious situations like medical emergencies or disasters.
緊急の場合は、この番号に電話してください。
In case of emergency, please call this number.
Checking whether someone has urgent matters to attend to, often before making a request.
Polite way to ask 'Are you in a hurry?' or 'Do you have urgent business?'
お急ぎですか？少しお時間よろしいですか？
Are you in a hurry? Do you have a moment?
The direct translation '緊急のビジネス' (kinkyū no bijinesu) is unnatural. Use context-appropriate terms like 急用 or 緊急の用件 instead.
急用 (kyūyō) is for personal urgent matters, while 緊急 (kinkyū) is for emergencies or formal business contexts. Using 緊急 for a personal excuse can sound overly dramatic.
Please reply urgently.
Formal term for 'state of emergency'. Used in official announcements.
政府は緊急事態を宣言した。
The government declared a state of emergency.