Isogashii is the Japanese i-adjective for ‘busy’, explained

What does “isogashii” mean in Japanese?

Native speakers say “isogashii” to mean ‘busy’ in Japanese. Perhaps, some Japanese learners know this i-adjective as it is sometimes used in Japanese conversations. In this blog post, however, I will explain it together with its major conjugations. And also, I will explain how to use them through example sentences. My explanations would help Japanese learners use “isogashii” more properly. Then, let’s get started!

Contents

• Definition and meaning of “isogashii”
  • Example #1: how to say “busy” in Japanese
• Isogashikunai: the nai form of “isogashii”
  • Example #2: how to say “not busy” in Japanese
• Isogashikatta: the ta form of “isogashii”
  • Example #3: how to say “was busy” in Japanese
• Isogashikute: the te form of “isogashii”
  • Example #4: how to say “busy and” in Japanese
• Isogashikereba: the ba form of “isogashii”
  • Example #5: how to say “if busy” in Japanese
• Summary

Definition and meaning of “isogashii”

Let me start with the definition and meaning of “isogashii”.

• isogashii – 忙しい (いそがしい) : an i-adjective meaning ‘busy’ in Japanese.

The definition and meaning are very simple and clear. Then, let me explain how to use this i-adjective through the example sentence below.

Example #1: how to say “busy” in Japanese

Below are the new words used in the example sentence.

• boku – 僕 (ぼく) : a pronoun meaning ‘I’ in Japanese. This is used mainly by boys and young males.
• wa – は : a binding particle working as a case marker or topic marker. In the example, this works after “boku” to make the subject in the sentence.

This is a typical usage of “isogashii”. In this example, it works as the complement in the sentence. Like other adjectives, however, it can also work as a modifier in front of a noun. It’s worth knowing, I think. When we want to say “busy” in Japanese, anyway, this i-adjective is a very good option.

So far, I’ve explained the definition and meaning of “isogashii” and how to use it through the example sentence. In the rest part of this blog post, I will explain its major conjugations. The first one is “isogashikunai”.

Isogashikunai: the nai form of “isogashii”

Below are the definition and meaning of “isogashikunai”.

• isogashikunai – 忙しくない (いそがしくない) : the nai form of “isogashii”, which means ‘not busy’ in Japanese.

Grammatically, “isogashikunai” consists of the following two parts:

• isogashiku – 忙しく (いそがしく) : one conjugation of “isogashii”. This can have a smooth connection with “nai”.
• nai – ない : an auxiliary verb used after a verb, adjective, or auxiliary verb to deny its meaning. Word orders in Japanese and English are different, but the role of this auxiliary verb is very similar to that of “not”.

From these two parts, we can understand that “isogashikunai” is literally the nai form of “isogashii” and means ‘not busy’ in Japanese. Then, let me explain how to use this nai form through the example sentence below.

Example #2: how to say “not busy” in Japanese

Below are the new words used in the example sentence.

• kare – 彼 (かれ) : a pronoun meaning ‘he’ in Japanese.
• ima – 今 (いま) : an adverb meaning ‘now’ in Japanese.

This is a typical usage of “isogashikunai”. When we want to mean ‘not busy’ in Japanese, this nai form is a very good option.

Isogashikatta: the ta form of “isogashii”

Below are the definition and meanings of “isogashikatta”.

• isogashikatta – 忙しかった (いそがしかった) : the ta form of “isogashii”, which means ‘was busy’, ‘were busy’, or such in Japanese.

Grammatically, “isogashikatta” consists of the following two parts:

• isogashikat – 忙しかっ (いそがしかっ) : one conjugation of “isogashii”. This can have a smooth connection with “ta”.
• ta – た : an auxiliary verb used after a verb, adjective, or auxiliary verb to make its past tense form. Probably, this is well known as a part of Japanese ta form.

From these two parts, we can understand that “isogashikatta” is literally the ta form of “isogashii” and means ‘was busy’, ‘were busy’, or such in Japanese. Then, let me explain how to use this ta form through the example sentence below.

Example #3: how to say “was busy” in Japanese

Below are the new words used in the example sentence.

• kanojo – 彼女 (かのじょ) : a pronoun meaning ‘she’ in Japanese.
• yori – より : a case particle working as a comparison marker. In the example, this works after “boku” to indicate the target of the comparison with “kanojo”. Word orders in Japanese and English are different, but the role of this case particle is similar to that of “than” in English.

This is a typical usage of “isogashikatta”. When we want to use the past tense form of “isogashii”, this ta form is the best option.

Isogashikute: the te form of “isogashii”

Below are the definition and meaning of “isogashikute”.

• isogashikute – 忙しくて (いそがしくて) : the te form of “isogashii”, which means ‘busy’ in Japanese.

Grammatically, “isogashikute” consists of the following two parts:

• isogashiku – 忙しく (いそがしく) : one conjugation of “isogashii”. This can have a smooth connection with “te”.
• te – て : a conjunctive particle used after a verb, adjective, or auxiliary verb to make its te form.

From these two parts, we can understand that “isogashikute” is literally the te form of “isogashii”. In Japanese, te-formed words have some important roles. One of them is make smooth connections of words. So, “isogashikute” is very useful when we want to use “isogashii” in front of another adjective, a verb, or an auxiliary verb. Let me explain this usage through the example sentence below.

Example #4: how to say “busy and” in Japanese

Below are the new words used in the example sentence.

• watashi – 私 (わたし) : a pronoun meaning ‘I’ in Japanese.
• totemo – とても : an adverb of degree meaning ‘very’, ‘much’, ‘so’, or such in Japanese. In the example, this works before “isogashii” to emphasize its meaning.
• tsurai – つらい : an i-adjective meaning ‘depressed’, ‘worn out’, or such in Japanese.

This is a typical usage of “isogashikute”. In the example, it has the smooth connection with “tsurai”. When we want to use “isogashii” in front of another adjective like this, its te form is very useful to make a smooth connection.

Isogashikereba: the ba form of “isogashii”

Lastly, let me explain the definition and meaning of “isogashikereba”.

• isogashikereba – 忙しければ (いそがしければ) : the ba form of “isogashii”, which makes a conditional clause in a sentence with meaning ‘busy’ in Japanese.

Grammatically, “isogashikereba” consists of the following two parts:

• isogashikere – 忙しけれ (いそがしけれ) : one conjugation of “isogashii”. This can have a smooth connection with “ba”.
• ba – ば : a conjunctive particle used after a verb, adjective, or auxiliary verb to make its ba form.

From these two parts, we can understand that “isogashikereba” is literally the ba form of “isogashii”. In Japanese, the ba forms of words can work as their conditional forms. So, we can use “isogashikereba” to make a conditional clause in a sentence with adding the meaning of ‘busy’. Let me explain this usage through the example sentence below.

Example #5: how to say “if busy” in Japanese

Below are the new words used in the example sentence.

• kimi – 君 (きみ) : a pronoun meaning ‘you’ in Japanese.
• ga – が : a case particle used to make the subject word or the object word in a sentence. In the example, this is used after “kimi” to make the subject in the conditional clause.
• to – と : a case particle used to say with whom someone does something. In the example, this is used after “kare” to say with whom the speaker will go.
• iku – 行く (いく) : a verb meaning ‘to go’ in Japanese.
• yo – よ : a sentence-ending particle used to state the fact or idea in a soft way. As the definition suggests, this is used at the end of the second clause to state the idea softly.

This is a typical usage of “isogashikereba”. In the example, it works as a part of the conditional clause, “kimi ga isogashikereba”, which means ‘if you are busy’ in Japanese. When we want to make a conditional clause in a sentence with adding the meaning of ‘busy’, this ba form is a good option.

Summary

In this blog post, I’ve explained the definition and meaning of “isogashii” and its major conjugations. And also, I’ve explained how to use them through the example sentences. Let me summarize them as follows.

• isogashii – 忙しい (いそがしい) : an i-adjective meaning ‘busy’ in Japanese. This can work as both a modifier and a complement.
• isogashikunai – 忙しくない (いそがしくない) : the nai form of “isogashii”, which means ‘not busy’ in Japanese.
• isogashikatta – 忙しかった (いそがしかった) : the ta form of “isogashii”, which means ‘was busy’, ‘were busy’, or such in Japanese. This is the past tense form of “isogashii”.
• isogashikute – 忙しくて (いそがしくて) : the te form of “isogashii”, which means ‘busy’ in Japanese. When we want to use “isogashii” in front of another adjective, this te form is very useful to make a smooth connection.
• isogashikereba – 忙しければ (いそがしければ) : the ba form of “isogashii”, which makes a conditional clause in a sentence with meaning ‘busy’ in Japanese.

Hope my explanations are understandable and helpful for Japanese learners.