jigeumeun sigani eobseoseo taeksireul tayagessda.

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.

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 시간이 없어서 is the more neutral and natural choice here.

없어서 is the connective form of 없다. In this sentence, it means because there isn’t / because I don’t have.

So:

• 시간이 없다 = there is no time / I don’t have time
• 시간이 없어서 = because there is no time / because I don’t have time

In the full sentence:

• 지금은 시간이 없어서 택시를 타야겠다.
• Because I don’t have time right now, I should take a taxi.

The -아서/-어서 ending often connects two clauses with a cause-and-result meaning: because / so.

This is the -아/어서 connective ending.

For verbs and adjectives, Korean often changes them into this form to mean:

• and
• so
• because

With 없다, the form becomes 없어서.

Breakdown:

• dictionary form: 없다
• stem: 없-
• connective ending: -어서
• result: 없어서

So 시간이 없어서 literally means something like there being no time, ... but in natural English it becomes because I don’t have time, ...

In Korean, 타다 is the normal verb for ride / get on / take a means of transportation.

So you say:

• 버스를 타다 = take the bus
• 지하철을 타다 = take the subway
• 택시를 타다 = take a taxi
• 기차를 타다 = take a train

Even though English uses different verbs like take, ride, or get in, Korean commonly uses 타다 for transportation.

So 택시를 타다 is the standard expression, not something unusual.

Because 택시 is the object of the verb 타다.

In 택시를 타다, the taxi is what you are riding/taking, so it gets the object marker 을/를.

• 택시를 타다 = take a taxi
• 버스를 타다 = take the bus
• 자전거를 타다 = ride a bicycle

Since 택시 ends in a vowel, it takes 를.

타야겠다 means something like:

• I should take
• I guess I should take
• I’d better take
• Looks like I’ll have to take

It combines the idea of necessity with the speaker’s own judgment or realization.

A useful way to think about it is:

• 타야 하다 = have to take / must take
• 타야겠다 = I suppose I should take / I’d better take

So -야겠다 often sounds like the speaker is deciding something on the spot based on the situation.

In this sentence, it feels like: I don’t have time right now, so I’d better take a taxi.

They are very closely related.

Historically and grammatically, -아/어야겠다 is connected to -아/어야 하겠다, and in many cases learners can think of them as expressing a similar idea: should / had better / will have to.

However, 타야겠다 is a very common, compact form that often sounds like:

• a personal conclusion
• a decision based on the current situation
• a realization

So in practice:

• 택시를 타야 하겠다 = I will have to take a taxi / I should take a taxi
• 택시를 타야겠다 = I guess I should take a taxi / I’d better take a taxi

The shorter form is very common in everyday Korean.

This is a very common learner question.

-아/어야 한다

This is more directly must / have to. It can sound more objective or straightforward.

• 택시를 타야 한다 = I have to take a taxi.

-아/어야겠다

This often adds the speaker’s judgment, realization, or immediate decision.

• 택시를 타야겠다 = I guess I should take a taxi / I’d better take a taxi.

So the difference is often:

• -아/어야 한다 = necessity itself
• -아/어야겠다 = the speaker concluding that something is necessary

In this sentence, 타야겠다 sounds natural because the speaker is reacting to the situation: I don’t have time right now, so I’d better take a taxi.

Korean often leaves out subjects when they are obvious from context.

In English, you normally say:

• I don’t have time right now, so I should take a taxi.

In Korean, if it is clear that the speaker is talking about themselves, you can simply say:

• 지금은 시간이 없어서 택시를 타야겠다.

The I is understood naturally.

This is very common in Korean. Pronouns like 나, 저, 너, 그 are used much less often than in English when context already makes the meaning clear.

Not exactly.

시간이 없다 literally means there is no time or I don’t have time. It focuses on lack of time, not necessarily general busyness.

It can overlap with being busy, but the nuance is slightly different:

• 바쁘다 = to be busy
• 시간이 없다 = to not have time

So this sentence specifically emphasizes lack of time, which is why taking a taxi makes sense.

It is in a plain/non-polite style.

• 지금은 시간이 없어서 택시를 타야겠다.

This form is natural in:

• talking to yourself
• writing a diary
• speaking casually in narration
• casual conversation in the right setting

A polite version would be:

• 지금은 시간이 없어서 택시를 타야겠어요.

A more formal style could be:

• 지금은 시간이 없어서 택시를 타야겠습니다.

So the original sentence is not rude by itself; it just is not marked for politeness.

Yes, absolutely.

• 지금 시간이 없어서 택시를 타야겠다
• 지금은 시간이 없어서 택시를 타야겠다

Both are natural.

The difference is that 지금은 adds a slight topic/contrast feeling, like for now / at the moment.
Without 은, the sentence is a bit more direct and neutral.

Both would be understood the same way in most situations.

Even if the basic meaning is already known, the nuance is worth noticing.

This sentence does not just mechanically state necessity. It sounds like the speaker is looking at the current situation and making a decision.

Natural English translations might be:

• I don’t have time right now, so I should take a taxi.
• I don’t have time right now, so I’d better take a taxi.
• I’m short on time right now, so I guess I’ll take a taxi.

Among these, I’d better take a taxi often matches the feeling of 타야겠다 especially well.

Not always. -아서/-어서 is a very common connector, and its meaning depends on context.

It can mean:

• and then
• so
• because

In this sentence, it clearly gives a reason:

• 시간이 없어서 택시를 타야겠다
• Because I don’t have time, I should take a taxi

But in other sentences, it may just connect actions or states rather than emphasize cause.

So here, because / so is the right interpretation, but learners should remember that -아서/-어서 is broader than just because.