顾不上

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

Significado

No poder ocuparse de algo por estar demasiado ocupado; no dar abasto para atender.

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).

Ejemplos

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。
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。
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。

Guía de uso

Contexto: everyday situations, work, family, time pressure

Tono: neutral

Correcto

• 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.)

Incorrecto

• 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

Origen e historia

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.

Contexto cultural

Generación: All ages

Contexto social: Universal