-(으)ㄹ 겨를이 없다
no time even to
Says there was not a spare moment for something. 겨를 means a gap in a busy stretch — and the phrase reports that no such gap existed.
Build it
Pick a verb
When to use it
Attachment is the standard rule with the ㄹ short form: 만들다 gives 만들 겨를이 없다. 겨를 is a noun and takes a space, and 이 is often replaced by 도 for emphasis.
It takes action verbs, and the predicate is always negative — 겨를이 있다 is not idiomatic. The word only appears in the denial.
The action denied is typically a small, ordinary one: 쉬다, 생각하다, 먹다, 앉다. That is what makes the point — there was not even time for that.
Very close to -(으)ㄹ 틈이 없다. 틈 is a gap in general; 겨를 is specifically a gap in time, which makes it slightly more formal.
How to attach it
| Stem type | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Ends in a vowel | -ㄹ 겨를이 없다 | 쉬다 → 쉴 겨를이 없다 |
| Ends in a consonant | -을 겨를이 없다 | 먹다 → 먹을 겨를이 없다 |
| Ends in ㄹ | nothing added | 만들다 → 만들 겨를이 없다 |
| For emphasis | 겨를도 없다 | 쉴 겨를도 없었어요 |
| Always | negative | 겨를이 있다 is not idiomatic |
| Close relative | -(으)ㄹ 틈이 없다 | 쉴 틈이 없다 |
In use
요즘은 잠시 쉴 겨를도 없어요.
These days there isn’t a moment to rest.
너무 급해서 생각할 겨를이 없었다.
It was so urgent there was no time to think.
주문이 밀려 점심을 먹을 겨를조차 없었습니다.
Orders piled up so we hadn’t even time for lunch.
인사할 겨를도 없이 그는 떠나 버렸다.
He was gone before there was time even to say goodbye.
직접 만들 겨를이 없어서 사 왔어요.
There was no time to make it, so I bought some.
놀랄 겨를도 없이 상황이 끝났다.
It was over before there was time to be surprised.
Compared with
-(으)ㄹ 틈이 없다
Nearly the same. 틈 is a gap of any kind, including physical; 겨를 is specifically a gap in time, and sounds slightly more formal.
쉴 틈이 없어요. / 쉴 겨를이 없어요.
시간이 없다
The plain version. 시간이 없다 states a shortage; 겨를이 없다 stresses that not even a moment could be spared.
시간이 없어요. (I haven’t time) / 쉴 겨를도 없어요. (not a moment to rest)
-느라고
-느라고 names the activity that consumed the time; 겨를이 없다 reports the result of that consumption.
일하느라고 못 쉬었어요. (I was working) / 쉴 겨를이 없었어요. (there was no moment)
Watch out
오늘은 쉴 겨를이 있어요.
오늘은 쉴 시간이 있어요.
겨를 appears in the negative. To say you do have time, use 시간 or 여유.
직접 만들을 겨를이 없었어요.
직접 만들 겨를이 없었어요.
A stem ending in ㄹ already supplies it, as with 만들 거예요 and 만들 뿐이다.
너무 급해서 생각할겨를이 없었다.
너무 급해서 생각할 겨를이 없었다.
겨를 is a noun and takes a space after the modifier.
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