Learn Hardcore Korean: hajiman naeireun sigani eobseoyo.

하지만 means “but” or “however.” It’s a conjunction used to introduce a contrast with what was said before. In Korean it often starts a sentence (rather than joining two clauses) to show a shift or contradiction from the prior idea. Other colloquial alternatives include 그런데 or 근데, but 하지만 is slightly more formal.

Why is 내일은 marked with 은 instead of 이/가 or having no particle at all?

The particle 은 is the topic marker, so 내일은 sets “tomorrow” as the topic of discussion, focusing our attention on it. You could say 내일이 if you wanted to emphasize “tomorrow” as the subject that does something, but since we’re contrasting “tomorrow” with other days (implied by 하지만), 은 is more natural here. Omitting the particle (saying 내일 시간이 없어요) is also possible in casual speech, but adding 은 makes the contrast clearer.

What role does 시간이 play, and why is the subject marker 이 used?

시간 means “time,” and 이 is the subject marker indicating that “time” is the thing that “doesn’t exist” or “is absent.” In Korean, verbs of existence (있다/없다) take their object as a subject with 이/가, because you’re literally saying “Time does not exist (for me).”

How does 없어요 express “don’t have”? Is it a normal verb?

없어요 is the polite form of the adjective/verb 없다, which means “to not exist,” “to not have,” or “to be absent.” When you want to express “I don’t have X,” you use X + 이/가 + 없다/없어요. So 시간이 없어요 literally means “Time does not exist (for me),” i.e. “I don’t have time.”

What’s the difference between 없어요 and the more formal 없습니다?

Both are negative forms of 없다, but they differ in politeness level:

없어요 is polite-informal (해요 form) used in everyday conversation with strangers or acquaintances.
없습니다 is polite-formal (합니다 form) appropriate for presentations, announcements, or speaking to people you must show more respect to.

Could you say 시간 안 있어요 instead of 시간이 없어요? What’s the nuance?

Yes, 시간 안 있어요 is also common. Here 안 negates the verb 있어요 (“to have/exist”), so it literally means “(I) don’t have time.” The nuance is almost identical, but some learners feel 시간이 없어요 emphasizes the absence of time more strongly, while 시간 안 있어요 feels a bit lighter or more colloquial.

Can I move 내일 to a different position, like 내일 시간이 없어요, and drop the topic marker?

Absolutely. In everyday speech, Koreans often say 내일 시간이 없어요 without 은. It’s still perfectly correct and slightly more casual. The full sentence structure is:

(Conjunction) 하지만,
(Time/Topic) 내일은 (or 내일),
(Subject) 시간이,
(Predicate) 없어요.

Why does Korean use 있다/없다 for possession instead of a verb like “to have”?

Korean doesn’t have a direct equivalent of “to have” as a standalone verb. Instead, possession is expressed through existence verbs:

있다 means “to exist” or “to have,”
없다 means “to not exist” or “to not have.”
You attach 이/가 to the thing possessed (시간이, 책이, 돈이, etc.) and then use 있다/없다 to state whether it exists in your possession.