Breakdown of jigeumeun sigani eobseoseo taeksireul tayagessda.
~이~i
subject particle
~를~reul
object particle
~은~eun
topic particle
지금jigeum
right now
Questions & Answers about jigeumeun sigani eobseoseo taeksireul tayagessda.
Why is there a 는 in 지금은 instead of just 지금?
지금은 adds a topic/contrast nuance.
Without 은, 지금 just means now. With 은, it can feel more like:
- as for now
- right now, at least
- at the moment
In this sentence, 지금은 시간이 없어서... suggests something like right now I don’t have time, possibly implying that at another time the situation might be different.
So:
- 지금 시간이 없어서... = I don't have time now, so...
- 지금은 시간이 없어서... = As for now / right now, I don't have time, so...
The version with 은 sounds a little more natural in many contexts because it frames now as the current situation.
Why is it 시간이 없어서 and not 시간은 없어서?
Here, 시간이 없다 is the basic pattern for there is no time / I don’t have time.
The particle 이/가 often marks what exists or does not exist with 있다/없다:
- 시간이 있다 = there is time / I have time
- 시간이 없다 = there is no time / I don’t have time
If you said 시간은 없어서, it would add contrast, like:
- As for time, I don’t have any...
- I may have other things, but time is what I don’t have...
That is possible in the right context, but is the more neutral and natural choice here.