bận bộn
Definitions
- Adjective:
- Very busy, extremely occupied: Describes a state of having many tasks or responsibilities that require significant time and attention, often creating a sense of being overwhelmed.
- Engrossed, fully engaged: Indicates being deeply involved in activities, leaving little or no free time.
Usage Examples
- Adjective:
- Mùa lễ hội, mọi người đều bận bộn với công việc chuẩn bị. (During the festival season, everyone is very busy with preparation work.)
- Anh ấy bận bộn cả ngày với các cuộc họp liên tục. (He is extremely occupied all day with back-to-back meetings.)
- Tôi thấy mình bận bộn đến mức không có thời gian nghỉ ngơi. (I find myself so busy that I have no time to rest.)
Advanced Usage
- "bận bộn với": to be busy with (something specific).
- Cô ấy đang bận bộn với dự án mới. (She is busy with the new project.)
- "bận bộn không kịp thở": an idiom meaning to be so busy one can't catch a breath; swamped, overwhelmed.
- Tuần này tôi bận bộn không kịp thở. (This week I am swamped/overwhelmed with work.)
Variants and Related Words
- Bận (adj): busy, occupied. This is the root word and is less intense than "bận bộn".
- Tôi hơi bận một chút. (I am a little busy.)
- Bận rộn (adj): busy, occupied. This is a very common synonym with a similar meaning and intensity to "bận bộn".
- Cuộc sống ở thành phố thật bận rộn. (Life in the city is so busy.)
- Bộn bề (adj): cluttered, messy; often used figuratively to describe a chaotic or overwhelming multitude of tasks or concerns.
- Công việc bộn bề khiến anh ấy căng thẳng. (The clutter/multitude of work makes him stressed.)
Synonyms
- Bận rộn: busy, occupied.
- Tất bật: bustling, hurried; often implies constant, frantic movement between tasks.
- Ngập đầu: (idiomatic) swamped, up to one's neck in work.
Related Phrases
- Đầu tắt mặt tối: (Idiom) Literally "head extinguished, face dark"; means to be extremely busy from morning till night, toiling non-stop.
- Mẹ tôi làm việc đầu tắt mặt tối để nuôi gia đình. (My mother works extremely hard from dawn till dusk to support the family.)
Related Idioms
- Chân ướt chân ráo: (Idiom) Literally "one foot wet, one foot dry"; used to describe someone who has just arrived and is immediately busy or put to work.
- Anh ấy vừa đến công ty mới đã bị bận bộn ngay, đúng là chân ướt chân ráo. (He just arrived at the new company and was immediately very busy, truly thrown into the deep end.)