🇫🇷 How to translate “Busy” in French? #31

Effing French Words Series

Salut les Francophiles ! 🇫🇷

After spending thousands of hours teaching French, I’ve noticed that some words trip up English speakers more than others. The reason? Some of the most common English words have multiple translations in French, depending on the context!

That’s why I created a series of notes called Effing French Words of the Week—to help you navigate these tricky words and master their subtleties.

This post takes things a step further with exercises to sharpen your skills. Plus, I’ve recorded an audio answer for each quiz so you can hear a native speaker and practice your listening comprehension.

Ready to tackle this month’s effing French words? Let’s go! 🚀

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Effing French Words for "Busy"

Too busy to translate “busy” into French? No wonder! Just like in English, there are a ton of ways to say “busy,” some of which are used in specific situations.

• It’s a busy day → C’est une journée chargée.

  Think chargé for when talking about a time period (or schedule) loaded with activities.

• I‘m busy at work → Je suis occupé(e) au travail.

  Use occupé(e) when talking about people who are actively doing stuff.

• The subway is busy today → Le métro est bondé aujourd’hui.

  Use bondé(e) for places that are packed.

💡 My students’ favorite mistake:

“Cette année était occupée” ❌ Cette année can’t be occupée—it’s not a person.

🚽 Exception Alert!

When will you hear occupé(e) for something other than a person? Toilets! Les toilettes sont occupées.

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📝 Quizzes

1️⃣ Choisissez le bon mot

Complétez les phrases avec chargé(e), occupé(e) ou bondé(e).

1. J’ai eu une journée très _______ au bureau, je n’ai pas eu une minute pour souffler !
   → I had a very busy day at the office, I didn’t have a minute to breathe!

   Réponse :

2. On a pris le métro à 18h, il était vraiment _______ !
   → We took the metro at 6 PM, it was really busy!

   Réponse :