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Learn Hardcore Korean: sigani eobseuni taeksireul tayo. - Since I don't have time, I take a taxi.

Hardcore Korean
/Lesson 33
/sigani eobseuni taeksireul tayo.

sigani eobseuni taeksireul tayo.

시간이 없으니 택시를 타요.sigani eobseuni taeksireul tayo.

Since I don't have time, I take a taxi.

Breakdown of sigani eobseuni taeksireul tayo.

subject particle

object particle

Questions & Answers about sigani eobseuni taeksireul tayo.

What does 없으니 mean here?

없으니 is the verb 없다 plus the connective ending -으니.

없다 = to not exist / to not have
-으니 = since, because, so

So 시간이 없으니 means since there is no time or because we don’t have time.

In this sentence, it gives the reason for the next action: 택시를 타요.

Why is it 시간이 없으니, not 시간을 없으니?

Because 있다 / 없다 usually work with the subject marker 이/가, not the object marker 을/를.

Korean treats time as the thing that exists or does not exist.

시간이 있다 = there is time / to have time
시간이 없다 = there is no time / to not have time

So 시간이 없으니 is the normal form.

You could also say 시간은 없으니, but that changes the nuance. 은/는 makes 시간 a topic and can sound contrastive, like as for time, we don’t have any.

Why do Koreans say 택시를 타요? Why use 타다 with a taxi?

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In Korean, 타다 is the normal verb for riding or taking a vehicle.

So you say:

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

English often uses take for transportation, but Korean usually uses 타다, which literally has the idea of ride/get on.

So 택시를 타요 is the natural Korean expression for take a taxi.

Could I also say 택시로 가요?

Yes, you can. Both are natural, but the nuance is a little different.

택시를 타요 = we take/ride a taxi
택시로 가요 = we go by taxi

The first focuses on the vehicle being used as something you ride.
The second focuses on the means of transportation using -로.

In many situations, both are fine. But with vehicles, 택시를 타다 is extremely common.

What is the function of -으니 compared with -아서/어서 or -으니까?

All of these can connect a reason to a result, but they do not feel exactly the same.

없으니 = since/because
없어서 = because, so
없으니까 = because, since

Some general differences:

-아서/어서 is very common and neutral.
-으니까 is very common in speech and often sounds direct and conversational.
-으니 can sound a bit more formal, written, or matter-of-fact.

So:

시간이 없어서 택시를 타요
시간이 없으니까 택시를 타요
시간이 없으니 택시를 타요

All are possible, but -으니 may sound a little more formal or explanatory.

Why is the subject not stated? Who is taking the taxi?

Korean often leaves out the subject when it is obvious from context.

So 택시를 타요 does not explicitly say I, we, or you. The listener figures it out from the situation.

Depending on context, it could mean:

I’ll take a taxi
We’ll take a taxi
Let’s take a taxi
You should take a taxi

In many textbook examples like this, the understood subject is often we.

Why is it 타요? Is this present tense?

Yes. 타요 is the polite non-past form of 타다.

dictionary form: 타다
polite form: 타요

The Korean non-past can cover meanings that English expresses with present or future, depending on context.

So 택시를 타요 can mean things like:

we take a taxi
we are taking a taxi
we will take a taxi

In context, after 시간이 없으니, it often feels like a decision or suggestion: Since we don’t have time, let’s take a taxi or we’ll take a taxi.

What does the 요 add?

요 makes the sentence polite.

Compare:

택시를 타 = casual, plain speech
택시를 타요 = polite everyday speech

So 타요 is the kind of form you would use in normal polite conversation.

The sentence is not highly formal. If you wanted a more formal style, you might see 탑니다 instead.

Why does 타다 become 타요 and not 타아요?

Good question. Grammatically, 타다 combines with -아요, but in modern Korean it contracts:

타 + 아요 → 타요

This contraction is normal.

The same thing happens with many other verbs:

가다 → 가요
오다 → 와요
보다 → 봐요

So 타요 is just the natural contracted form.

How is 없으니 pronounced?

In careful pronunciation, 없으니 is often heard approximately as 업쓰니.

That is because:

없 at the end of a syllable is pronounced like 업
then the following 으 and ㅅ influence the sound across the syllables

So learners often hear something close to 업쓰니 rather than pronouncing every letter separately.

You do not need to overthink it at first, but it is useful to know that the spoken sound may differ from the spelling.

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