せわしない
せわしない
i-adjective
restless; busy; hectic
Conjugation
| Affirmative | Negative | |
|---|---|---|
| Present | せわしない | せわしなくない |
| Past | せわしなかった | せわしなくなかった |
| て form | せわしなくて | せわしなくなくて |
| Adverbial | せわしなく | — |
| Conditional ば | せわしなければ | せわしなくなければ |
| Conditional たら | せわしなかったら | せわしなくなかったら |
1.
restless; fidgety; hurried
Unable to stay calm or still; constantly moving or busy.
Etymology
From 忙しい (busy) + ない. The ない here is **not** the negative suffix but an emphatic one, as in 切ない or はしたない. せわしない therefore means the same as せわしい — busy, restless — and not its opposite. This is the point learners most often get wrong.
Writing
Can be written 忙しない, though hiragana is more common.
Usage
Describes a person who cannot sit still, or a stretch of time filled with activity:
Sense 1 (of a person) carries mild criticism — fidgety, unable to settle. Sense 2 (of a period) is neutral.