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How to Say ‘When you're busy’ in Japanese

お忙しいところ

o isogashii tokoro

[oh ee-soh-gah-shee tokoro]

💬 Usage Tip: ところ normally means "place," but after a describing word like 忙しい "busy" it means "at a moment when." The お in front adds politeness toward the other person's busyness.

Phrase Breakdown

お

o

[oh]

honorific prefix

お adds politeness to certain words and expressions.

Example

チケットを二枚お願いします。

Two tickets, please.

忙しい

isogashii

[ee-soh-gah-shee]

busy

An i-adjective meaning busy, often used for work or schedules.

Example

今週は仕事が忙しいです。

Work is busy this week.

ところ

tokoro

[tokoro]

point; moment

Used in the grammar pattern for just did something.

Example

今来たところです。

I just got here.

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