15 Different Ways To Say Im busy Alternative English Phrases
- Hello, everyone,
and welcome back to “English With Lucy”.
Today I want to talk about a big topic
because everyone that I meet
seems to want to tell me
about how busy they are.
It’s like the latest new thing.
Everybody wants to talk
about how busy they are,
and I hear everyone
repeating the same phrase
over and over again.
“I’m busy, I’m busy, I’m busy.”
Now you know that I love
providing you with lots of better
and alternative phrases.
In today’s lesson, I am going
to teach you 15 alternatives
for the phrase “I’m busy”.
We’re going to include some idioms,
a couple of slang phrases,
some other formal ones as well.
These are really good phrases
to use if you are too busy
and you want to explain that
to somebody in a polite way
if you want to get out of,
to avoid, doing something.
This lesson will really
enrich your vocabulary.
As always, I have created a
free PDF for you to download
for this lesson with all of
the phrases and the examples.
All you’ve got to do to claim
that is click on the link
in the description box,
enter your email address and your name,
and I will send it directly to your inbox.
Before we get started,
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Right, let’s get started with the lesson.
Phrase number one is, “I’m all booked up.
I’m all booked up.”
If something is booked up,
then it’s fully reserved.
There are no spaces left.
This means that in your “virtual diary”,
there’s no space left.
So somebody’s going to have to
book in with you another day.
An example, “I’m all booked up today,
but I could fit you in on Monday.”
Number two is quite informal.
It is, “I’m swamped. I’m swamped.”
If you are swamped, you
have got so much work on,
you are so busy, there’s no
time or room for anything else.
An example, “I haven’t had
any time to myself recently.
I’ve been so swamped with work!”
Number three is, “I’ve got a lot to do,”
or “I’ve got so much to do.”
When we write lists at the
top, we normally put “To Do”,
the things we have to do.
So if we’ve got a lot
to do or so much to do,
it means we are incredibly busy.
An example, “I need to crack
on. I’ve got a lot to do!”
To crack on is a slang
phrasal verb meaning to start
or to continue with work.
Number four, “I’ve got a lot going on.
I’ve got a lot going on.”
Now this one can be used to say
you’ve got a lot going on at work
or you’ve got a lot in
your personal life as well.
She’s got a lot going
on, so treat her nicely.
You know, her home life is
difficult at the moment.
It’s used to insinuate
that somebody’s having a difficult time.
An example, “Don’t call her till Monday.
She’s got a lot going on right now.”
Number five sounds very similar,
but it’s different in meaning.
“I’ve got a lot on the go.
I’ve got a lot on the go.”
This insinuates less about
them having a difficult time
and more about having a lot of work.
It implies that you’ve got lots
of different tasks going on.
We often say that we’re
spinning a lot of plates,
we’re juggling tasks.
You know when clowns spin plates
and they keep them all going?
Sometimes we use that
to describe how we feel.
An example, “I’ve got so
much on the go right now,
I don’t think I can cope.”
Number six, I’ve just mentioned plates.
I’m going to mention them again.
“I’ve got a lot on my plate.
I’ve got a lot on my plate.”
This means that I’ve
got lots to think about,
lots of tasks, lots of responsibilities.
It generally is used to
describe a negative emotion.
I’ve got a lot on my plate.
I’m a bit overwhelmed.
An example, “In January
I’ll start my new position,
and I’ll have a lot more on my plate.”
Number seven is, “I’m up to my ears.”
I’m up to my ears with work.
So if you imagine you’re
in a bathtub of work,
the work is up to here.
An example, “Will doesn’t
have any time to watch rugby.
He’s up to ears with farm work!”
This is only true in the summer,
but luckily, there isn’t so
much rugby on in the summer.
(laughs lightly)
Number eight is, “I’m
tied up. I’m tied up.”
So physically, this is
a phrasal verb meaning
that you are tied with
rope, and you can’t move.
But we use this to say
that we’ve got so many responsibilities,
we really can’t move.
We can’t leave or anything.
An example, “I can’t come over right now
because I’m tied up.”
You’re not physically tied up.
It might mean that you’ve got
children depending on you,
you have to give them dinner,
you’ve got work to finish.
You can’t fathom leaving.
Number nine, another phrasal verb,
“I can’t take anything else on.”
To take on, I can’t take any
more on. I can’t take that on.
To take on means to undertake
a task or responsibility.
If you can’t take any more on,
you can’t undertake any more
tasks or responsibilities.
An example, “I would love to
volunteer for your project,
but I can’t take any more on.”
Now we’re going to go through
a couple of more simple ones
that I actually think are underrated.
Number 10, “I’m stressed.” (chuckles)
We’re always told in
professional environments
to not say when we’re stressed,
but I think we should say that
because I’ve seen my dad
work himself to the bone
and collapse on the floor from stress.
Stress is a very serious condition.
I know when I become very stressed
over a significant period of time,
my body does some weird things.
It is not good for your health.
So if you are feeling stressed
because you are so busy,
put it in simple terms.
Just say, “I’m really
stressed. I’m really stressed.”
And that person needs to
understand you and help you out.
An example, “I’m really
stressed right now.
Could we rearrange for a quieter time?”
Another one, number 11,
maybe not one to say directly to your boss
but one to explain how you’re feeling.
“I’m overworked.”
I’m overworked implies that somebody else
is working you too hard.
An example, “I think
I’m overworking myself.”
See, there I’m implying that
I am overworking myself.
I’m working myself too hard.
“I think I need some time off.”
Number 12, I’m actually including two here
because they’re so similar.
We have, “I’m overstretched”
and “I’m overloaded.”
So if you’re overstretched,
you’re being pulled too far,
and if you’re overloaded,
you’ve got too much weight on your back
and your back’s going to break.
They both mean that
you’ve got too much work
or too much pressure on.
An example, “Last year I
totally overstretched myself.
So this year I’m trying
to focus on my key tasks.”
Number 13 is another slang
phrasal verb. I love it!
It is, “I am snowed
under. I am snowed under.”
And this means that I’ve
got so much work on.
It’s like when you’re in a snowstorm
and your house is surrounded by snow,
and you’ve just got this tiny
shovel to dig out a path.
An example, “This winter I’ve
been completely snowed under,
and it hasn’t even snowed!”
Number 14, a very simple one,
but I think it’s very good.
“My diary is full. I’m really
sorry, my diary is full.”
I think in American English,
you would say “my agenda”
or “my schedule”.
In American English, it’s schedule.
Let me know if you’ve lived in
an English-speaking country,
what they said there.
Diary, agenda, schedule,
schedule? Comment down below.
An example, “My diary is full this month.
I’ll see if I can squeeze
you in next month!”
To squeeze someone in
is to just make a bit of time for them.
And the last one very to
the point, very direct,
number 15, “I have other
priorities right now.”
I’m so sorry. I can’t prioritise
what you want me to do.
I’ve got other priorities right now.
An example, “I’ve got
other priorities right now,
but I expect things to
calm down next month.”
There we have it, 15 more
interesting, more advanced ways
to say that you are very busy
and also a couple of ways to
express that you are too busy
and that you need to be less busy.
Very important to do that.
I have completely overstretched
myself in the past,
had a breakdown, come
back better than new.
(laughs)
Ideally, you realise before,
before you have a breakdown.
(laughs)
Don’t forget to download
the PDF for this lesson.
It’s got all of the vocabulary
and all of the examples as well.
Just click on the link
in the description box,
enter your name and your email address,
and it’ll be sent straight to your inbox.
Don’t forget to check out
the Lingoda language sprint.
You can use my code ‘WIN7’ for €10 off.
Just click on the link
in the description box.
Don’t forget to connect with
me on all of my social media.
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And I shall see you
soon for another lesson.
Mwah!
(peaceful mid-tempo music)