Learn Hardcore Korean: hoeui ttaemune bappayo. - I am busy because of the meeting.

회의: “meeting(s)”
때문에: “because of; due to” (attaches to a noun)
바빠요: “(I’m) busy” in the polite style Subject “I” is omitted because it’s understood from context in Korean.

How do I pronounce it naturally?

Roughly: [hoe-i ttae-mu-ne ba-ppa-yo]
Notes:
- 회의 is often pronounced like [회이] (hoe‑i) in everyday speech.
- 때문에 often sounds like [때무네] (ttae‑mu‑ne) in casual speech due to assimilation.
- 바빠요 has a tense “pp” sound: [바빠요] (ba‑ppa‑yo).

Why is it 바빠요 and not 바쁘요?

Because 바쁘다 (“to be busy”) is an ㅡ-irregular adjective. When adding 아/어요:

Drop ㅡ and choose 아/어 based on the previous vowel (ㅏ → 아), then the form contracts:
바쁘다 → 바빠요 Other examples: 예쁘다 → 예뻐요, 슬프다 → 슬퍼요.

What politeness level is 바빠요? What are alternatives?

Can I say “회의가 있어서 바빠요” instead?

Yes.

회의 때문에 바빠요 emphasizes a direct cause: “busy due to the meeting.”
회의가 있어서 바빠요 is “I’m busy because there is a meeting.”
Both are natural; 때문에 can feel a bit more matter-of-fact/formal about the cause.

How do I make it a question?

Just add a rising intonation (and a question mark in writing):

Do I need a subject like “저는”?

Not required. Korean often omits the subject when it’s clear. If you want to make it explicit:

Should there be any particle after 회의?

No. 때문에 attaches directly to a noun:

Noun + 때문에 (e.g., 비 때문에, 시험 때문에, 너 때문에).
Here, 회의 is a two-syllable noun; the second syllable 의 is part of the word, not the possessive particle.

Is 회의 singular or plural here?

Korean nouns usually don’t mark number. 회의 can mean “a meeting” or “meetings.” If you need to be explicit:

Can I put the 때문에-phrase at the end?

Normally it goes before the predicate: 회의 때문에 바빠요.
In speech, you can add it as an afterthought for emphasis or as a short answer:

Is 때문에 only used with nouns?

It directly attaches to nouns. With verbs/adjectives, use -기 때문에:

What’s the difference between 때문에 and -아서/어서?

때문에 is more explicit/factual about cause and fits nouns: 회의 때문에 바빠요.
-아서/어서 is a general “so/and therefore,” often more colloquial with verbs/adj.: 회의가 많아서 바빠요.
Both can be fine; choose based on whether you’re attaching to a noun (때문에) or a verb/adj. (-아서/어서).

When should I use -(으)느라?

Use -(으)느라 to say you were busy doing X and couldn’t do Y (often with a negative/undesired result):

“I couldn’t go because I was in meetings”: 회의하느라 못 갔어요.
Saying simply “회의하느라 바빠요” is possible but more common is to pair -(으)느라 with something you couldn’t do.

Is 때문에 negative? Could I say 덕분에 instead?

때문에 itself is neutral, though often used for problems. 덕분에 means “thanks to” (positive):

Positive nuance: 회의 덕분에 좋은 기회를 얻었어요.
Using 덕분에 with 바빠요 can sound ironic unless you truly want a positive spin.

Any common collocations around 회의 I should know?

What are some other tenses/variations of 바쁘다?