せわしい

せ

わ

し

い

せわしい · i-adjective

Form	Positive	Negative
Dictionary	せわしい	せわしくない
Polite	せわしいです	せわしくないですalso せわしくありません
Past polite	せわしかったです	せわしくなかったですalso せわしくありませんでした
Past	せわしかった	せわしくなかった
Te-form	せわしくて	せわしくなくて
Adverbial	せわしく
Conditional	せわしければ	せわしくなければ
Tara conditional	せわしかったら	せわしくなかったら

Meanings

usually written using kana alone

Describes a state of being constantly occupied or rushed, often with a sense of restlessness. More intense and hurried than いそがしい.

usually written using kana alone

Often describes a person's restless or fidgety state, or an atmosphere of hurriedness. Can imply a lack of calm.

忙いそがしいN5
せわしい emphasizes a restless, hurried atmosphere rather than simply having a lot to do, unlike the more neutral 忙しい.
慌あわただしいN3
せわしい and 慌ただしい both describe a restless, hurried state, but せわしい focuses more on constant fidgety activity while 慌ただしい emphasizes the flustered rush of a situation.

せわしいUsage100%
Usually written in kana; the kanji form 忙しい is also used but can be confused with the more common reading いそがしい.
忙せわしい
Kanji spelling; when read as せわしい it carries a nuance of restless busyness rather than simple business.

Derived from the classical adjective せわし (忙し), related to せわ (忙) meaning 'busy' or 'restless'. The exact historical derivation is uncertain.