Word: 忙 (máng)

上不紧，下不忙

shàng bù jǐn, xià bù máng

if above is not tight, below is not busy

上轿穿耳朵眼儿，临时忙

shàng jiào chuān ěrduoyǎnr, línshí máng

piercing ears only when getting into the bridal sedan chair: a last-minute rush

事忙先记账

shì máng xiān jìzhàng

when business is busy, record the accounts first

今天太忙了，咱们改日再聊吧。

Jīntiān tài mángle, zánmen gǎirì zài liáo ba.

I'm too busy today, so let's talk another day.

今天我一直很忙。

Jīntiān wǒ yìzhí hěn máng.

I have been busy today.

今天比平时还忙。

Jīntiān bǐ píngshí hái máng.

Today's even busier than normal.

他下月会很忙。

Tā xià yuè huì hěn máng.

He will be busy next month.

他又高又胖，还总是很忙。

Tā yòu gāo yòu pàng, hái zǒngshì hěn máng.

He is tall, fat and always busy.

他告诉我他那时很忙。

Tā gàosu wǒ tā nàshí hěn máng.

He told me that he was busy then.

他对我说：「请你帮我一个忙。」

Tā duì wǒ shuō: 「Qǐng nǐ bāng wǒ yí gè máng.」

He said to me, "Please, do me a favor."

他就算多忙也会来的。

Tā jiùsuàn duō máng yě huì lái de.

Even if he is busy, he will come.

他帮了你很多忙。

Tā bāngle nǐ hěn duō máng.

He helped you a lot.

他很忙，哪怕周末也要上班。

Tā hěn máng, nǎpà zhōumò yě yào shàngbān.

He's very busy; he has to work even on weekends.

他很忙，难得回家吃一次饭。

Tā hěn máng, nándé huíjiā chī yícì fàn.

He's very busy and seldom gets home for a meal.

他很聪明，但却不太帮得上忙。

Tā hěn cōngming, dàn què bú tài bāng de shàng máng.

He may be clever, but he is not very helpful.

他总是很忙。

Tā zǒngshì hěn máng.

He's always so busy.

他换了工作，生活照样很忙。

Tā huàn le gōngzuò, shēnghuó zhàoyàng hěn máng.

He changed jobs, but his life is as busy as before.

他明天会很忙。

Tā míngtiān huì hěn máng.

He will be busy tomorrow.

他暗地里帮了我很多忙。

Tā àndìli bāngle wǒ hěn duō máng.

He helped me a lot behind the scenes.

他最近在忙着求职。

Tā zuìjìn zài mángzhe qiúzhí.

He's been busy looking for a job lately.

他正忙着做作业。

Tā zhèng mángzhe zuò zuòyè.

He's busy with his homework now.

他生活很忙。

Tā shēnghuó hěn máng.

He lived a busy life.

他认定我会帮他这个忙。

Tā rèndìng wǒ huì bāng tā zhège máng.

He firmly believes I will help him with this favor.

他问我是否很忙。

Tā wèn wǒ shìfǒu hěn máng.

He asked me if I was busy.

会家不忙,忙家不会

huìjiābùmáng,máng jiā búhuì

The one who knows is not in a rush; the one in a rush doesn't know

你不忙，对吧？

Nǐ bù máng, duì ba?

You're not busy, right?

你为什么那么忙？

Nǐ wèishénme nàme máng?

Why are you so busy?

你今天为什么忙？

Nǐ jīntiān wèishénme máng?

Why are you busy today?

你今天忙吗？

Nǐ jīntiān máng ma?

Are you busy today?

你从昨天开始就忙吗？

Nǐ cóng zuótiān kāishǐ jiù máng ma?

Have you been busy since yesterday?

你可以帮我一个忙吗？

Nǐ kěyǐ bāng wǒ yí gè máng ma?

Can you help me?

你好像很忙。

Nǐ hǎoxiàng hěn máng.

You look busy.

你忙，我自己干也行。

Nǐ máng, wǒ zìjǐ gàn yě xíng.

You are busy; I can do it myself.

你现在很忙吧？

Nǐ xiànzài hěn máng ba?

You are busy now, aren't you?

你的朋友近来在忙些什么？

Nǐ de péngyou jìnlái zài máng xiē shénme?

What has your friend been doing recently?

你能帮我一个忙吗？

Nǐ néng bāng wǒ yí gè máng ma?

Would you do me a favor?

你能帮我一点忙吗？

Nǐ néng bāng wǒ yìdiǎn máng ma?

Can you help me a little?

你要是不忙的话可以帮我吗？

Nǐ yàoshi bù máng dehuà kěyǐ bāng wǒ ma?

If you're not busy, could you please help me?

候选人忙着拉拢选民。

Hòuxuǎnrén mángzhe lālǒng xuǎnmín.

The candidate is busy trying to win over voters.

凡事只因忙里错

fánshì zhǐ yīn máng lǐ cuò

mistakes in everything come only from being in a rush

四点前我都在忙。

Sì diǎn qián wǒ dōu zài máng.

I've got my hands full before 4 pm.

大家都很忙。

Dàjiā dōu hěn máng.

Everyone was busy.

头忙脚忙，一忙百忙

tóu máng jiǎo máng, yì máng bǎimáng

head busy, feet busy; one busy, a hundred busy

她不忙，对吗？

Tā bù máng, duì ma?

She isn't busy, is she?

她在忙着学英语。

Tā zài mángzhe xué Yīngyǔ.

She is busy learning English.

她在服务业工作，常常很忙。

Tā zài fúwùyè gōngzuò, chángcháng hěn máng.

She works in the service sector and is often very busy.

她忙着做她的功课。

Tā mángzhe zuò tā de gōngkè.

She was busy doing her homework.

她忙着照料孩子。

Tā mángzhe zhàoliào háizi.

She is busy with the care of her children.

她忙着编织。

Tā mángzhe biānzhī.

She was busy with her knitting.

她总是很忙。

Tā zǒngshì hěn máng.

She is always very busy.

她是研究生，平时很忙。

Tā shì yánjiūshēng, píngshí hěn máng.

She's a graduate student and is usually very busy.

她正忙着准备这次旅行。

Tā zhèng mángzhe zhǔnbèi zhècì lǚxíng.

She is busy preparing for the trip.

她每天都很忙嘛。

Tā měitiān dōu hěn máng ma.

She's busy every day, isn't she?

她爸爸不会来的，他很忙。

Tā bàba búhuì lái de, tā hěn máng.

Her father won't come, he is really busy.

她现在很忙，不能和你谈话。

Tā xiànzài hěn máng, bùnéng hé nǐ tánhuà.

She is busy at present and can't speak to you.

她现在正忙着准备晚饭。

Tā xiànzài zhèng mángzhe zhǔnbèi wǎnfàn.

She is busy preparing supper now.

她的爸爸不来因为太忙了。

Tā de bàba bù lái yīnwèi tài mángle.

Her dad won't come, he is very busy.

好事不在忙

hǎoshì bú zài máng

good things aren't in hurrying

如果你忙，我会帮你。

Rúguǒ nǐ máng, wǒ huì bāng nǐ.

If you're busy, I'll help you.

妈妈正在忙着做晚饭。

Māma zhèngzài mángzhe zuò wǎnfàn.

My mother is busy cooking supper.

学生们正忙着准备考试。

Xuéshengmen zhèng mángzhe zhǔnbèi kǎoshì.

The students are busy preparing for the test.

对不起，你可以帮我个忙吗？

Duìbùqǐ, nǐ kěyǐ bāng wǒ gè máng ma?

Sorry, could you help me with something?

尽管很忙，她还是来送我了。

Jǐnguǎn hěn máng, tā háishi lái sòng wǒ le.

Though very busy, she came to see me off.

工作太忙，我顾及不了孩子。

Gōngzuò tài máng, wǒ gùjí bù liǎo háizi.

Work is so busy that I can't look after my child.

年底我们公司会很忙。

Niándǐ wǒmen gōngsī huì hěn máng.

Our company gets very busy at the end of the year.

年终的时候，公司总是特别忙。

Niánzhōng de shíhou, gōngsī zǒngshì tèbié máng.

At the end of the year, the company is always especially busy.

忙中多有错

máng zhōng duō yǒu cuò

in busyness there are many mistakes

忙了一年，到头来一场空。

Mángle yì nián, dàotóulái yìchángkōng.

After a whole year of hard work, it all came to nothing in the end.

忙了一年，终于可以收割了。

Mángle yì nián, zhōngyú kěyǐ shōugēle.

After a year of hard work, we can finally reap the harvest.

忙和尚办不了好道场

máng héshang bàn bù liǎo hǎo dàochǎng

a flustered monk can't hold a good ritual

快到期末了，同学们都很忙。

Kuài dào qīmò liǎo, tóngxuémen dōu hěn máng.

The end of the term is near, and the students are all busy.

快要考期末试了，所以我很忙。

Kuàiyào kǎo qīmò shìle, suǒyǐ wǒ hěn máng.

I'm busy because the finals are drawing on.

急诊室里总是很忙。

Jízhěnshì lǐ zǒngshì hěn máng.

The emergency room is always busy.

恐怕我帮不上什么忙。

Kǒngpà wǒ bāng bú shàng shénme máng.

There is not much I can do to help, I am afraid.

您当时在忙吗？

Nín dāngshí zài máng ma?

Were you busy?

我一直在忙着修东西。

Wǒ yìzhí zài mángzhe xiū dōngxi.

I've been busy repairing things.

我不知道能不能帮上忙。

Wǒ bù zhīdào néng bùnéng bāng shàng máng.

I don't know if I can help.

我今天下午会很忙。

Wǒ jīntiān xiàwǔ huì hěn máng.

I will be busy this afternoon.

我今天很忙。

Wǒ jīntiān hěn máng.

I'm very busy today.

我从昨天开始一直忙着。

Wǒ cóng zuótiān kāishǐ yìzhí mángzhe.

I have been busy since yesterday.

我们会很忙。

Wǒmen huì hěn máng.

We'll be busy.

我们的厨师今天很忙。

Wǒmen de chúshī jīntiān hěn máng.

Our chef is very busy today.

我可以请你帮个忙吗？

Wǒ kěyǐ qǐng nǐ bāng gè máng ma?

Can I ask you a favour?

我太忙了不能去。

Wǒ tài mángle bùnéng qù.

I am too busy to go.

我太忙了，无法帮助他。

Wǒ tài mángle, wúfǎ bāngzhù tā.

I'm too busy to help him.

我很忙，我帮不了你。

Wǒ hěn máng, wǒ bāng bù liǎo nǐ.

I'm busy so I can't help you.

我很忙，所以我不能去了。

Wǒ hěn máng, suǒyǐ wǒ bùnéng qùle.

As I am busy, I cannot go.

我想请你们帮个忙。

Wǒ xiǎng qǐng nǐmen bāng gè máng.

I'd like your help.

我担心你会跟我们一样忙。

Wǒ dānxīn nǐ huì gēn wǒmen yíyàng máng.

I wonder if you are as busy as we are.

我明天会很忙。

Wǒ míngtiān huì hěn máng.

I'll be busy tomorrow.

我昨天不忙。

Wǒ zuótiān bù máng.

I wasn't busy yesterday.

我昨天很忙。

Wǒ zuótiān hěn máng.

I was busy yesterday.

我最近一直都在忙。

Wǒ zuìjìn yìzhí dōu zài máng.

I'm always busy these days.

我最近很忙。

Wǒ zuìjìn hěn máng.

I'm very busy these days.

我最近忙得很。

Wǒ zuìjìn máng de hěn.

These days I'm very busy.

我最近忙得晕头转向。

Wǒ zuìjìn máng de yūntóuzhuànxiàng.

I’ve been absolutely off my feet lately.

我最近真的很忙。

Wǒ zuìjìn zhēnde hěn máng.

I've been really busy lately.

我正忙着为明天作准备。

Wǒ zhèng mángzhe wèi míngtiān zuò zhǔnbèi.

I'm busy getting ready for tomorrow.

我正忙着找公寓。

Wǒ zhèng mángzhe zhǎo gōngyù.

I'm busy looking for an apartment.

我此刻正忙着做饭。

Wǒ cǐkè zhèng mángzhe zuòfàn.

I am busy cooking at the moment.