忙
busy, occupied, restless
Readings
On'yomi
- ボウ
- モウ
Kun'yomi
- いそが.しい
- せわ.しい
- おそ.れる
- うれえるさま
Meaning
忙 centers on a state of being fully engaged with tasks, leaving no room for rest: busy, occupied, or restless from constant activity.
Most common words using 忙
- 忙しいいそがしいN5
busy; occupied; hectic
- 多忙たぼうN1
being very busy; busyness
- 繁忙はんぼう
busy; high-stress; hectic; pressed (with business)
- 大忙しおおいそがし
very busy
- 忙殺ぼうさつ
being extremely busy; being swamped with work
- 忙しないせわしない
restless; fidgety; in a hurry
- ご多忙中ごたぼうちゅう
excuse me for interrupting you when you are so busy
- 心忙しいこころぜわしい
restless
- 忙しいせわしい
busy; hectic; frantic
- 忙しげせわしげ
looking busy; appearing busy; looking restless
- 忙を厭わずぼうをいとわず
despite one's busyness
- 忙中ぼうちゅう
in the midst of busyness
- 忙中有閑ぼうちゅうゆうかん
having free time to spare in the midst of busyness; leisure in the intervals of one's work
- 忙中閑ありぼうちゅうかんあり
there are brief moments of leisure even when at one's busiest
- 忙殺されるぼうさつされる
to be very busily occupied; to be swamped with work
- 怱忙そうぼう
(being) busy
- 怱忙としてそうぼうとして
in great haste; hurriedly; in a hurry
- 繁忙期はんぼうき
busy period; busy season
Study
Etymology
忙 combines 忄 (heart/mind) with 亡, which likely contributes the sound and suggests a sense of being overwhelmed or lost in activity.
Meaning mnemonic
The heart radical 忄 beside 亡 (which can suggest loss or death) paints a picture of a heart so busy it feels lost or deadened by constant activity.
Reading mnemonic
For ボウ, imagine a busy worker bowing repeatedly to everyone they rush past: bow -> ボウ, and the heart is too occupied to stop.