busy
gb/bˈɪzi/ us/bˈɪzi/
A2
Kiingereza
~ 1900
Maana
maana 0
adjective
A2
state
1
Having a lot to do
Doing many things or having a lot of work.
Muundo wa matumizi:
[someone] is busy [doing something]
Kosa la kawaida:
Learners sometimes confuse 'busy' with 'crowded' when talking about places. For example, 'The street is busy' means there is a lot of activity, not that it is physically full of people.
Visawe
occupied (Slightly more formal; often used to indicate being engaged in a task.)
Vinyume
idle (Means not active or not doing anything.)
Miunganiko ya maneno
busy schedule
|busy day
|busy week
|keep busy
|extremely busy
Mada
daily life
|work
|time management
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Mifano
- She’s been very busy preparing for the wedding.
- I can’t talk right now—I’m busy cooking dinner.
- He’s always busy with work and rarely takes a break.
- The shop was busy all afternoon.
- They are busy planning their holiday.
Mifano kwa wanafunzi
- I am busy with my homework.
- She is busy cooking dinner.
- He is busy reading a book.
- We are busy cleaning the house.
adjective
A2
property
2
Full of activity or people
A place with many people or things happening.
Muundo wa matumizi:
a busy [street/area/store]
Kosa la kawaida:
Learners sometimes use 'busy' for noise level alone, but it refers to activity and presence of people, not just sound.
Visawe
crowded (Emphasizes the number of people rather than the level of activity.)
Vinyume
quiet (Describes a place with few people or little activity.)
Miunganiko ya maneno
busy street
|busy market
|busy airport
|busy intersection
Mada
daily life
|travel
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Mifano
- The train station is always busy in the morning.
- It’s a busy street, so be careful crossing.
- The market was busy with tourists and locals.
- We avoided the busy roads by taking back streets.
Mifano kwa wanafunzi
- The shop is busy today.
- The street is busy with cars.
- The airport is busy this morning.
adjective
A2
state
3
Not free to do other things
Doing something so you cannot do other things right now.
Muundo wa matumizi:
[someone] is busy [with something]
Visawe
engaged (More formal; often used in British English for telephone lines or meetings.)
Vinyume
available (Means free to do something else.)
Miunganiko ya maneno
too busy
|busy at the moment
|busy right now
Mada
daily life
|time management
|communication
|work
|core_vocabulary
Mifano
- I’m busy right now; can I call you back?
- He said he was too busy to join us for lunch.
- She’s busy with a project and can’t meet today.
Mifano kwa wanafunzi
- I am busy right now.
- She is too busy to talk.
- He is busy with his work.
adjective
B1
property
4
Having too many visual elements
Having too many shapes, colors, or lines so it looks messy.
Muundo wa matumizi:
a busy [design/pattern/image]
Visawe
cluttered (Suggests disorganized or messy appearance.)
Vinyume
simple (Plain and without extra detail.)
Miunganiko ya maneno
busy pattern
|busy wallpaper
|busy design
Mada
art
|design
|arts_entertainment
|core_vocabulary
Mifano
- The wallpaper is too busy for such a small room.
- I find that shirt’s pattern a bit busy.
- The website design was too busy and hard to navigate.
Mifano kwa wanafunzi
- The picture is too busy.
- Her dress has a busy pattern.
- The page looks busy with many colors.
Sarufi
Umbo la kamusi
busy
IPA
GB/bˈɪzi/
US/bˈɪzi/
Silabi na mkazo
busy (silabi 1)
Stress on 1st syllable (busy)
Maumbo ya neno
Adjective
- Base: busy
- Comparative: busier
- Superlative: busiest
Familia ya neno
Forms
busier
adjective
busiest
adjective
Core family
business
noun A2
busily
adverb
Related words
busyness
noun
businessperson
noun
businesslike
adjective
Advanced or less common
busybody
noun
Semi
busybodies
1/bəsəbˈoʊdiz/
fixed phrase
informal
People who pry into others’ affairs
People who try to know about or involve themselves in other people's private lives.
Mifano
- The neighbors are such busybodies—they always know what’s going on.
- I try to avoid the office busybodies.
keep busy
1/kˈip bˈɪzi/
fixed phrase
Stay occupied with tasks or activities
To do things so you are not bored or idle.
Mifano
- I like to keep busy during the holidays by gardening.
- He keeps busy with volunteer work after retirement.
busy as a bee
1/bˈɪzi ˈæz ə bˈi/
idiom
very busy and hard‑working
Very busy and working hard, with many things to do.
Mifano
- She's been busy as a bee getting everything ready for the party.
- He was as busy as a bee all weekend, cleaning the house and doing repairs.
- The office is busy as a bee today with everyone rushing to meet the deadline.
busy as a bee
2/bˈɪzi ˈæz ə bˈi/
idiom
Very active and hardworking
Working hard and moving around a lot, like a bee.
Mifano
- She’s been busy as a bee all morning, cleaning the house.
- He’s always busy as a bee when there’s a deadline coming up.
Mind your own business
2/mˈaɪnd jˈʊɹ ˈoʊn bˈɪznɪs/
idiom
informal
stay out of others' affairs
Do not ask about or try to be part of something that is private to someone else.
Mifano
- He told her to mind her own business when she asked about his salary.
- I wish she would mind her own business instead of gossiping.
- Mind your own business and stop asking questions about my relationship.
- Mind your own business and stop asking questions about my life.
Mind your own business
3/mˈaɪnd jˈʊɹ ˈoʊn bˈɪznɪs/
idiom
informal
stop interfering in others' affairs
Used to tell someone to stop asking about things that are private or not their problem.
Mifano
- She told him to mind his own business when he asked about her salary.
- Mind your own business and focus on your work.