How to Say “I’m Busy” Naturally in Chinese — Not Just “我很忙”

Drop the stiff “我很忙 (wǒ hěn máng)” — sound more real and expressive.

📕 Textbook Chinese

我很忙。 (Wǒ hěn máng.)

“I’m very busy.”

This is clear and grammatically correct. But it often sounds dry or too neutral.

In real life, Chinese speakers use more expressive ways to say they’re busy — especially when they want to show how hectic things are.

✅ Real Chinese

Try these more colorful, natural options:

• 挺忙的 (tǐng máng de) = “Pretty busy”

• 忙死了 (máng sǐ le) = “So busy I’m dying!”

• 这几天特别忙 (zhè jǐ tiān tèbié máng) = “Especially busy lately”

They add tone and feeling — the way people really talk.

💡When to Use Them

These phrases are great when:

✔️ A friend checks in and asks how things are going

✔️ You’re talking about work, school, or life in general 

✔️ You want to sound a little stressed — but not robotic

They help you share emotion, not just information.

🧱 Example Sentences

1.

A：最近怎么样？

(Zuìjìn zěnme yàng?)

How’s everything recently?

👉 挺忙的。

(Tǐng máng de.)

Pretty busy.

2.

A：你这几天都在干嘛？

(Nǐ zhè jǐ tiān dōu zài gàn má?)

What have you been up to lately?

👉 忙死了，每天都加班。

(Máng sǐ le, měi tiān dōu jiābān.)

Crazy busy. Working overtime every day.

3.

A：你不是刚换了工作吗？

(Nǐ bú shì gāng huàn le gōngzuò ma?)

Didn’t you just change jobs?

👉 是啊，这几天特别忙。

(Shì a, zhè jǐ tiān tèbié máng.)

Yeah, it’s been especially busy these days.

🤓 Why It Sounds Better

• It adds emotion and variety to your daily replies

• Feels more real and relatable

• Matches how native speakers actually talk

• Helps you connect with others better

⚠️ Common Mistake

🚫 Saying “我很忙” every time someone asks about your life.

It’s not wrong — but it sounds like you copied it from a textbook.

✅ Try instead:

• 挺忙的 (tǐng máng de) = “Pretty busy”

• 忙死了 (máng sǐ le) = “So busy I’m dying!”

• 这几天特别忙 (zhè jǐ tiān tèbié máng) = “Especially busy lately”

They help your reply feel warm and expressive.

🏆 Quick Practice

Q: A coworker asks:

“你最近怎么样？” (Nǐ zuìjìn zěnme yàng?)

How are things lately?

Which reply sounds more natural?

A. 我很忙。 (Wǒ hěn máng.)

B. 忙死了！ (Máng sǐ le!)

✅ Correct Answer: B

→ It’s expressive, casual, and totally normal in spoken Chinese.

✨ Final Thoughts

Next time you want to say you’re busy, skip the textbook “我很忙.”

Try something with more color:

💬 挺忙的 (tǐng máng de)

💬 忙死了 (máng sǐ le)

💬 这几天特别忙 (zhè jǐ tiān tèbié máng)

It’s how native speakers really talk — and you’ll sound much more natural.

📘 Want more like this? Check out the full blog series: Real-Life Chinese