顾不上

• Pinyin: gù bu shàng
• Hanzi breakdown: 顾 = to look after, attend to; 不上 = cannot get to, cannot manage to (directional complement expressing inability to reach or achieve)

Meaning

To be unable to attend to something because one is too occupied with other things; to not have enough time or energy to take care of something. Implies being too busy rather than facing an impossible situation.

Very common in everyday spoken and written Chinese. Implies that one would attend to the matter if possible, but current circumstances — usually being too busy — prevent it. Slightly less urgent than 顾不得. Often heard in work and family contexts: 工作太忙，顾不上家人 (too busy with work to look after the family).

Examples

1. 她最近工作压力极大，连吃饭的时间都顾不上，更别说休息了。 She’s been under enormous work pressure lately—she barely even has time to eat, let alone rest.
2. 店里客人太多，服务员根本顾不上一一照应，导致不少顾客等待时间过长。 The shop was so packed that the servers couldn’t possibly take care of everyone, and many customers ended up waiting far too long.
3. 他一心扑在研究上，顾不上打理自己的生活，朋友们都很担心他的健康。 He’s thrown himself entirely into his research and doesn’t have time to take care of his daily life; his friends are very worried about his health.

Usage Guide

Context: everyday situations, work, family, time pressure

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 开学第一周事务繁多，老师顾不上批改上周的作业，学生只好耐心等待。(The first week of school is so hectic that the teacher can't get around to marking last week's assignments, and students have to wait patiently.)
• 照顾三个孩子已经让她精疲力竭，哪里还顾不上料理家务。(Looking after three children has left her exhausted — there's simply no way she can also manage the housework.)

Don't Say

• 将'顾不上'与'顾不得'完全互换 — while similar, 顾不上 emphasizes being too busy; 顾不得 emphasizes impossibility given the circumstances; the nuance matters in precise writing

Origin & History

顾 (to attend to; to look after) + 不上 (cannot reach; cannot manage to). Together: cannot manage to attend to; cannot get around to something.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal