Lo siento, ahora mismo estoy ocupado.

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Breakdown of Lo siento, ahora mismo estoy ocupado.

• estar: to be
• ahora mismo: right now
• ocupado: occupied

Questions & Answers about Lo siento, ahora mismo estoy ocupado.

Why does lo siento mean I’m sorry?

Literally, lo siento means I feel it:

• lo = it
• siento = I feel / I am sorry (from sentir)

In practice, Spanish uses lo siento as a standard way to say I’m sorry. You do not need to translate it word for word when learning the phrase.

Why is it siento and not soy or something else?

Because siento comes from the verb sentir (to feel), not ser (to be).

• sentir → siento = I feel
• ser → soy = I am

So lo siento is an idiomatic expression based on feeling, not on being.

What does ahora mismo mean exactly?