JLPT N4・N5 Vocabulary – Difference between “忙しい” and “混む”

Table of Contents

1. Difference between “忙いそがしい” and “混こむ”
2. 忙いそがしい
3. 混こむ
4. Let’s Compare
5. Summary
6. Quiz
7. Similer Articles
8. Comment

Q: What’s the difference between “忙いそがしい” and “混こむ”?

A: Both describe a state of having no leeway, but they focus on different things. Let’s look in more detail.

忙いそがしい (JLPT N5)

[Meaning]
Having so many tasks that there is no free time or room to spare

[Part of Speech]
い adjective

[Examples]
今週こんしゅうは仕事しごとが忙いそがしいです。
I am busy with work this week.

試験しけん前まえで毎日まいにちとても忙いそがしくしています。
I am very busy every day because of the upcoming exam.

お忙いそがしい時間じかん帯たいに、おじゃましてすみません。
I’m sorry to bother you during your busy time.

“忙いそがしい” focuses on people’s activities or schedules, and expresses a state of being busy and pressed with tasks.

[Examples]
今日きょうは忙いそがしくて昼ひるごはんを食たべる時間じかんもなかったよ。
I was so busy today that I didn’t even have time to eat lunch.
⇒ The speaker is showing that because they had too much to do, they couldn’t eat lunch.

お忙いそがしいところ申し訳もう　わけございません。
I’m sorry to trouble you when you’re busy.

年末ねんまつの忙いそがしさのせいで、ゆっくり休やすむ時間じかんがありません。
Because of the year-end busyness, I don’t have time to rest.

仕事しごとの忙いそがしさが落ち着お　ついたら、旅行りょこうに行いこうと思おもいます。
Once the busyness at work settles down, I’m thinking of going on a trip.

混こむ (JLPT N4)

[Meaning]
A state where many people or things gather in one place and it becomes full

[Part of Speech]
Verb

[Examples]
都会とかいの朝あさの電車でんしゃはとても混こみます。
The morning trains in the city are very crowded.

このレストランは人気にんきが高たかく、いつも混こんでいます。
This restaurant is very popular and always crowded.

渋滞じゅうたいで道路どうろが混こんでいて、なかなか進すすめません。
Because of the traffic jam, the roads are congested and it hardly moves forward.

“混こむ” is used with the image of a space packed with people or things, making it hard to move, and it especially focuses on places or vehicles.

[Examples] (Place)
渋谷しぶやはいつも人ひとで混こんでいます。
Shibuya is always crowded with people.
⇒ This expresses that the place (space) “Shibuya” is filled with people.

11時じ半はんごろになるとレストランは混こみ始はじめるので、早はやめに行いきましょう。
Around 11:30, the restaurant starts to get crowded, so let’s go early.

[Examples] (Vehicle)
私わたしが乗のるバスはいつも混こんでいます。
The bus I take is always crowded.

観光かんこうシーズンにはフェリーが混こむので、早はやめに予約よやくしたほうがいいですよ。
During the tourist season, the ferry gets crowded, so it’s better to book early.

Let’s Compare

Which expression is appropriate in the following cases?

[Example]
① 渋谷しぶやはいつも忙いそがしいです。
② 渋谷しぶやはいつも混こんでいます。

The correct answer is ②.
“渋谷しぶやはいつも忙いそがしいです” is a common mistake.
“忙いそがしい” focuses on people’s activities or time periods, so it cannot be used to describe a spatial place like “Shibuya.”

On the other hand, “混こむ” is often used with the cause (people or things) omitted.

[Example]
デパートは（人ひとで）混こんでいます。
The department store is crowded (with people).

高速こうそく道路どうろは（車くるまが多おおくて）混こんでいます。
The highway is congested (because there are many cars).

Now, what about the following examples?

[Example]
① 今いまは忙いそがしくて、手てが回まわらないよ。
② 今いまは混こんでいて、手てが回まわらないよ。

The correct answer is ①.
From the situation of “not being able to keep up,” this describes having too many activities for a person to handle.

Summary

[忙いそがしい]

• It means “having so many tasks that there is no free time or room to spare.”
• It focuses on people’s activities and schedules.
• It describes a state where a person is moving without any leeway.

[混こむ]

• It describes a state where people or things gather in one place and it becomes full.
• It focuses on spatial places or vehicles.
• It gives the image of a space packed with people or things so tightly that one cannot move freely.

Quiz

Read the following sentence and choose the expression that fits the context from the options provided in the parentheses.

Click on the question to check the answer.

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SImiler Articles

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