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watashi wa hirune o suru jikan ga hotondo nai.

私わたし　は　昼寝ひるね　を　する　時間じかん　が　ほとんど　ない。watashi wa hirune o suru jikan ga hotondo nai.
I hardly have time to take a nap.
FromLesson 20inHardcore Japanese

Questions & Answers about watashi wa hirune o suru jikan ga hotondo nai.

Why are both は and が in the same sentence?
Because Japanese often uses a topic–comment structure. 私は sets the topic “as for me,” and inside that, 時間が marks the grammatical subject of the predicate ない. Literally: “As for me, time (to nap) does not exist.” This is the common way to say “I don’t have X” in Japanese: Topic + Xが + ある/ない.
Why is it 時間が and not 時間は?
  • 時間がほとんどない states the simple fact that there is (almost) no time.
  • 時間はほとんどない topicalizes “time” and often implies contrast (e.g., “As for time to nap, there’s almost none, though [something else] might be different”). Use が for neutral existence/possession; use は when you want to contrast or highlight that specific noun.
What does 昼寝をする時間 mean grammatically?
It’s a relative clause: 昼寝をする (to take a nap) modifies 時間 (time), forming “time to take a nap.” Japanese doesn’t use relative pronouns; the verb phrase directly precedes the noun it modifies.
Do I have to include を in 昼寝をする時間? Can I say 昼寝する時間?

Both are correct. With many する-verbs:

  • 昼寝をする時間 and 昼寝する時間 are both natural. Dropping を is common and slightly leaner. Keeping を can feel a touch more explicit/formal.
Why is the verb before 時間 in dictionary form?
When a verb phrase modifies a noun (a relative clause), Japanese uses the plain dictionary form. So it’s [V-dictionary] + 時間 = “time to [do V].” Example: 勉強する時間 (time to study), 食べる時間 (time to eat).
Could I say 昼寝の時間がほとんどない instead?

You can, but it changes nuance:

  • 昼寝をする時間 = “time to take a nap” (any available time in your schedule).
  • 昼寝の時間 = “nap time” as a designated period (like a scheduled slot). The original sentence focuses on available time, so …をする時間 is more natural.
What exactly does ほとんど mean here?

Here ほとんど pairs with a negative to mean “almost” in the sense of “hardly/virtually none.” Common pattern: ほとんど + [negative predicate] = “hardly/rarely/almost no …”

  • ほとんどない = there is almost none. Positive uses exist too, like ほとんどの人 (“most people”).
Can I use あまり instead of ほとんど?

Yes, but nuance differs:

  • あまり時間がない = not much time (there is some, but not a lot).
  • 時間がほとんどない = almost no time (stronger). So ほとんど is a stronger “nearly zero” than あまり.
Is this about not napping often, or not having time to nap?

This sentence is about time availability: 昼寝をする時間 (time to nap). If you want “I hardly ever nap,” say:

  • 私は昼寝をほとんどしない。 That targets frequency of the action, not the time resource.
Why is there no です at the end? How would I make it polite?

The sentence is in plain form. Polite versions:

  • 私は昼寝をする時間がほとんどありません。 (most standard)
  • …ほとんどないです。 is also widely used in conversation.

Past polite: …ほとんどありませんでした。

Can I omit 私は?

Yes. If context already makes it clear you’re talking about yourself, just say:

  • 昼寝をする時間がほとんどない。 Japanese frequently omits pronouns when they’re understood.
Can I change the word order?

Within limits, yes. Natural variants include:

  • 私は昼寝する時間がほとんどない。 (drop を)
  • 昼寝する時間はほとんどない。 (contrastive topic on 時間)
  • ほとんど昼寝する時間がない。 (moving ほとんど earlier for emphasis) Avoid splitting the relative clause in awkward ways; keep [昼寝(を)する] together before 時間.
Why not use 持つ for “have,” like 時間を持っていない?
For “having time/money/siblings/etc.,” Japanese typically uses Xがある/ない with the possessor as topic: 私は時間がない. 持つ is for physically holding/owning tangible items and is unnatural with 時間 in this sense.
What’s the difference between 時間 and とき here?
  • 時間 = an amount/availability of time.
  • とき（時） = a time/when (a point or occasion). You need 時間 for “time (available) to do something.”
Could I use 暇 (ひま) instead of 時間?

Yes, with a nuance shift:

  • 昼寝する暇がない = no free time/leisure to nap (focus on free time).
  • 昼寝する時間がない = no time (schedule/availability) to nap (neutral). Both are common; 暇 can imply “no spare time.”
What exactly is 昼寝? Is it only at noon?
昼寝 means a daytime nap (any time during the day). お昼寝 is a softer/polite form, often used with/for children. It’s not restricted to exactly noon.
Is が marking the subject of ない?
Yes. In [昼寝をする]時間がほとんどない, the subject of ない is 時間. The larger topic 私 is introduced by は and is not the grammatical subject of ない.
How would I make the statement stronger or softer?
  • Stronger (virtually zero): 昼寝する時間が全然ない。 (very emphatic)
  • Softer (not much): 昼寝する時間があまりない。
  • Formal stronger emphasis: ほとんどありません or ほとんどございません (very formal).
Any quick pronunciation tips?

Natural chunking is:

  • わたしは｜ひるねをする｜じかんが｜ほとんどない。 Try to keep 昼寝をする together as one modifier of 時間 when speaking.
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