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忙 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
忙mángbusyHSK 1, v, 6 strokes, radical 忄, rank #413, Easy
忙mánghurriedlyHSK 1, v, 6 strokes, radical 忄, rank #413, Easy
忙mángto hurryHSK 1, v, 6 strokes, radical 忄, rank #413, Easy
忙mángto rushHSK 1, v, 6 strokes, radical 忄, rank #413, Easy
忙mángbusy, hurried, pressed for timeHSK 1, v, 6 strokes, radical 忄, rank #413, Easy
máng(mang2) T2
  1. 1busy
  2. 2hurriedly
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

忙máng(mang2)

The character 忙 (máng) means 'busy' or 'hurried.' It describes a state of being occupied with tasks or having little free time. Commonly used in daily conversations to express one's packed schedule or urgency in completing tasks.

Strokes6Radical忄Frequency#413DifficultyEasy
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, being busy is often seen as a sign of hard work and dedication. Many people take pride in their busy schedules, associating it with success and productivity.

Memory Tip

Imagine a busy bee buzzing around, trying to gather nectar. The bee represents the character 忙 (máng), where the 'm' sound in 'máng' is like the buzz of the bee, emphasizing its hurried nature. Picture the bee with a clock, symbolizing the urgency and busyness.

Meanings of 忙

máng(mang2)
1busy
2hurriedly
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 忙

忙Simplified
6Strokes
忄Radical
形容词xíngróngcíadjective (adj.)Part of Speech
#413Frequency Rank
HSK 2.0L2HSK 3.0L1ElementaryTOCFLL1HSKKL1CEFRA1

Podcast: 忙

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Podcast: 忙

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AI Study Notes for 忙

Quick Contrast

忙 (máng) vs 繁 (fán) — use 忙 for personal busyness, while 繁 refers to a general state of being busy or complicated, often with a broader context.

Usage Notes

Be careful not to confuse 忙 (máng) with other similar-sounding words. It is often used in informal contexts but can also be used in formal situations, depending on the sentence structure. Common collocations include '忙工作' (máng gōngzuò) meaning 'busy with work'.

HSK Study Tips

As an HSK Level 2 word, 忙 connects well with other everyday terms about daily activities and time management. Students should practice using it in sentences to describe their routines and feelings about being busy.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 忙 (máng) with 忙碌 (mánglù), which also means busy but carries a slightly different nuance. Using 忙 when you mean to convey a sense of being overwhelmed can lead to misunderstandings; instead, use 忙碌 for that context.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 忙

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Etymology of 忙

Formation TypeIdeographic 指事
六书 ClassificationIdeograph (指事字)~2% of characters
Explanation

Phonosemantic compound. 忄 represents the meaning and 亡 represents the sound.

Memory Hint

A heart 忄 faced with death 亡; 亡 also provides the pronunciation

Learn more about Ideograph (指事字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 忙

Phonosemantic compound. 忄 represents the meaning and 亡 represents the sound.

  1. 1The giveawayA heart 忄 faced with death 亡; 亡 also provides the pronunciation
  2. 2On the record asideographic — someone drew an idea rather than an object.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 忙? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.

Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 忙?

Decomposition of 忙

IDS Structure⿰忄亡
忙Full Character
=
忄xin1
left
亡wang2
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 忙?

How to say busy in Chinese

“busy” in Chinese is忙máng

The character 忙 (máng) means 'busy' or 'hurried.' It describes a state of being occupied with tasks or having little free time. Commonly used in daily conversations to express one's packed schedule or urgency in completing tasks.

When to use 忙

Be careful not to confuse 忙 (máng) with other similar-sounding words. It is often used in informal contexts but can also be used in formal situations, depending on the sentence structure. Common collocations include '忙工作' (máng gōngzuò) meaning 'busy with work'.

忙 or something close to it

忙 (máng) vs 繁 (fán) — use 忙 for personal busyness, while 繁 refers to a general state of being busy or complicated, often with a broader context.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 忙 (máng) with 忙碌 (mánglù), which also means busy but carries a slightly different nuance. Using 忙 when you mean to convey a sense of being overwhelmed can lead to misunderstandings; instead, use 忙碌 for that context.

Write 忙

忙

Practice writing 忙 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Grammar Patterns of 忙

忙 functions as a verb — the action or state of the sentence. The Chinese order is Subject + Verb + Object (我吃饭). Negate it with 不 (habitual / future) or 没(有) (completed action). Add aspect markers like 了, 过, 着 directly after the verb. It carries 5 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Related grammar lessons6
Exercise 1 of 4

Complete the Sentence

我今天太____了，午饭都没吃。

I was too busy today — I did not even eat lunch.

Example Sentences for 忙 (16)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
你帮不上什么忙,我们中的任何人也都无能为力.

nǐ bāng bù shàng shí mó máng, , wǒ mén zhōng de rèn hé rén yě dū wú néng wéi.

There was nothing you could do, nothing any of us could do.
2
拼写错误经常是由于匆忙而造成的。

pīn xiě cuò wù jīng cháng shì yóu yú cōng máng ér zào chéng de。

Spelling mistakes are often just the result of haste.
3
校友关系当然是帮了忙的。

xiào yǒu guān xì dāng rán shì bāng le máng de。

Of course, the old school tie has been a help.
4
他们走近时，小男孩急忙跑开藏了起来。

tā mén zǒu jìn shí， ， xiǎo nán hái jí máng pǎo kāi cáng le qǐ。

At their approach the little boy scurried away and hid.
5
这事得往后放。这是我们最忙碌的时候。

zhè shì dé wǎng hòu fàng。 。 zhè shì wǒ mén zuì máng lù de shí。

It'll have to wait. This is our busiest time .
6
服务员们匆匆忙忙穿过走道，把一盆盆汤重重地放在桌上。

fú wù yuán mén cōng cōng máng máng chuān guò zǒu dào， ， bǎ yī pén pén tāng zhòng zhòng dì fàng zài zhuō。

Waiters went scurrying down the aisles, thumping down tureens of soup.
7
这有助于他们忙碌一天后放松自己。

zhè yǒu zhù yú tā mén máng lù yī tiān hòu fàng sōng zì jǐ。

It helps them to unwind after a busy day at work.
8
今天迎接我们的将是非常忙碌的一天。

jīn tiān yíng jiē wǒ mén de jiāng shì fēi cháng máng lù de yī tiān。

We have a very busy day ahead of us today.
9
持枪歹徒不慌不忙地走开，坐上一辆等候的汽车逃走了。

chí qiāng dǎi tú bù huāng bù máng dì zǒu kāi， ， zuò shàng yī liàng děng hòu de qì chē táo zǒu。

The gunmen calmly walked away and escaped in a waiting car.
10
该渔港通常都是一派热闹繁忙的景象，很有地方色彩。

gāi yú gǎng tōng cháng dū shì yī pài rè nào fán máng de jǐng xiàng， ， hěn yǒu dì fāng sè。

The fishing boat harbour was usually bustling with lots of local colour.
11
今天我很忙，没有时间去看电影。

Jīntiān wǒ hěn máng, méiyǒu shíjiān qù kàn diànyǐng.

I am very busy today and don't have time to go to the movies.
12
她每天都很忙，晚上才回家。

Tā měitiān dōu hěn máng, wǎnshàng cái huí jiā.

She is busy every day and only comes home at night.
13
他忙着工作，没有时间吃午饭。

Tā mángzhe gōngzuò, méiyǒu shíjiān chī wǔfàn.

He is busy with work and doesn't have time for lunch.
14
妈妈在厨房忙，我们不要打扰她。

Māma zài chúfáng máng, wǒmen bùyào dǎrǎo tā.

Mom is busy in the kitchen, we shouldn't disturb her.
15
我今天很忙，没有时间和你见面。

Wǒ jīntiān hěn máng, méiyǒu shíjiān hé nǐ jiànmiàn.

I am very busy today and don't have time to meet you.
16
爸爸最近工作很忙，经常加班。

Bàba zuìjìn gōngzuò hěn máng, jīngcháng jiābān.

Dad has been very busy with work recently and often works overtime.

Word Family of 忙

Words Containing This Character20
忙mángbusy
帮忙bāngmángto help幫忙
忙碌mánglùbusy
连忙liánmángpromptly連忙
急忙jímánghastily
繁忙fánmángbusy
匆忙cōngmánghasty
忙于busy with忙於
忙活mánghuoto be really busy
赶忙gǎnmángto hurry趕忙
慌忙huāngmángin a great rush
帮帮忙to help幫幫忙
手忙脚乱to act with confusion手忙腳亂
不慌不忙to take matters calmly
急急忙忙hurriedly
不忙there's no hurry
忙乱mángluànrushed and muddled忙亂
忙不迭hurriedly
帮倒忙to be more of a hindrance than a help幫倒忙
忙不过来to have one's hands full忙不過來
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 忙 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 忙

You can say '我很忙' (Wǒ hěn máng), which means 'I am very busy.'

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