tidsupptagna

Tidsupptagna is a Swedish adjective used to describe something or someone that occupies a large portion of one’s time, or is time-consuming. It can refer to tasks, schedules, or people who have little free time because of numerous commitments.

The word is a compound of tids- meaning time and upptagen meaning occupied or engaged. As an adjective, tidsupptagna is the plural form used with plural nouns (for example, uppgifter or dagar). The base form for a singular en-ord is tidsupptagen, and tidsupptaget would appear in definite form with ett- or en- nouns in certain grammatical contexts.

Usage and nuance: tidsupptagna emphasizes the extent to which time is consumed by activities, rather than simply being busy in a general sense. It is often used in contexts describing workloads, calendars, or routines that leave little room for additional tasks or personal time. It is related to, but distinct from, synonyms like tidskrävande (time-consuming) or fullbokad (fully booked), with tidsupptagna focusing on the burden on one’s time.

Examples:

- Många uppgifter var tidsupptagna och krävde omprioriteringar.

- Hennes dagar var tidsupptagna, så hon hade svårt att hitta tid för längre möten.

See also: tidskrävande, fullbokad, arbetsbelastning.

Note: Although common in everyday Swedish, tidsupptagna is most naturally used in plural constructions or with plural nouns; use tidsupptagen or tidsupptaget for singular or definite forms as appropriate.