Spanish Idiom · Native
estar liado/a
to be busy / tied up (informal)
Pronunciation: es-TAr LYAH-do
Meaning
To be very occupied or engrossed in an activity, making one unavailable or unable to focus on other things.
Example
No puedo hablar ahora, estoy un poco liado con el trabajo.
I can't talk now, I'm a bit tied up with work.
Common mistakes & tips
- Practice estar liado/a out loud — read the pronunciation guide above and repeat.
- Use it in your own sentence today; reuse beats rereading.
- Pay attention to context: this is a native-level Spanish idiom.