Translation guide
The English word 'hurried' describes actions or states done quickly, often with a sense of rush or lack of time. In Japanese, this concept is expressed through adjectives, adverbs, verbs, and set phrases that convey haste, urgency, or being pressed for time.
Describing an action or manner that is hurried, rushed, or hasty.
The most common way to say 'hurriedly' or 'in a hurry'. It's the te-form of 急ぐ (to hurry), used adverbially.
彼は急いで家を出た。
He left the house hurriedly.
I have to eat hurriedly or I'll be late.
An i-adjective meaning 'hurried', 'busy', or 'hectic'. Often describes a situation or period of time.
慌ただしい一日だった。
It was a hurried day.
慌ただしい朝の時間。
The hurried morning hours.
Similar to 慌ただしい, meaning 'busy' or 'hurried', but slightly more colloquial and often used in spoken Japanese.
せわしい毎日を送っている。
I lead a hurried life every day.
An onomatopoeic adverb describing a flustered, hurried manner, often with a nuance of panic or confusion.
遅刻しそうであたふたと準備した。
I hurriedly got ready, flustered because I was about to be late.
Expressing that someone is short on time and needs to act quickly.
The progressive form of 急ぐ, meaning 'to be in a hurry'. This is the most direct way to say you are hurried.
すみません、急いでいるので失礼します。
Sorry, I'm in a hurry so I'll take my leave.
急いでいるから後で話そう。
I'm in a hurry, so let's talk later.
Literally 'there is no time'. A very common way to express being hurried or pressed for time.
時間がないので手短に話します。
I'm short on time, so I'll speak briefly.
Describes a person who is always in a rush, fidgety, or restless. Often carries a negative nuance of being overly hurried.
彼はいつもせかせかしていて落ち着かない。
He's always hurried and can't relax.
Describing an action that is rushed and possibly careless.
Te-form of 慌てる (to panic, to be flustered), used adverbially to mean 'in a hurried panic' or 'hastily', often implying a mistake was made.
慌てて家を出たので財布を忘れた。
I left the house in a hurry, so I forgot my wallet.
Literally 'with hurried feet', meaning walking quickly or doing something at a hurried pace.
急ぎ足で駅に向かった。
I headed to the station at a hurried pace.
An adverb meaning 'hurriedly' or 'hastily', often with a nuance of doing something quickly and perhaps sloppily or without proper ceremony.
彼はそそくさと部屋を片付けた。
He hurriedly tidied up the room.
Describing leaving quickly or abruptly.
Means 'to leave hurriedly' or 'to leave early'. 早々に implies doing something promptly or without delay.
彼は会議が終わると早々に立ち去った。
He left hurriedly as soon as the meeting ended.
Literally 'to leave with quick feet', meaning to depart hurriedly.
彼女は足早に去っていった。
She left hurriedly.
While 慌ただしい and せわしい can translate 'hurried', they are more often used for situations than for describing a person's state. To say 'I am hurried', use 急いでいる instead of a direct adjective translation.
急いで simply means doing something quickly, while 慌てて implies a flustered, panicked hurry that may lead to mistakes. Use 慌てて when the haste causes a negative outcome.