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Kotomora

忙

busy, occupied, restless

JLPTN3StatusJōyō · secondary schoolFrequencyTop 2,000Strokes6

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

Explore all words using 忙 →

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.