-(으)ㄹ 겨를이 없다

You are so busy or rushed that there is not even a spare moment to do something.

능력·허락·의무Can, may & must

Han: The verb before 겨를 always stays in the -(으)ㄹ form; past tense is shown only on 없었어요.

Examples

요즘 일이 너무 많아서 점심 먹을 겨를도 없어요.I have so much work these days that I don't even have time to eat lunch.

아이 둘을 키우다 보니 제 자신을 돌볼 겨를이 없었어요.Raising two kids, I had no time to take care of myself.

사고 소식을 듣고 신발을 제대로 신을 겨를도 없이 뛰어나갔다.Hearing about the accident, he ran out without even time to put his shoes on properly.

시험 준비하느라 친구들한테 답장할 겨를이 없었어요.I was preparing for the exam, so I had no time to reply to my friends.

Don’t mix up

-(으)ㄹ 겨를이 없다vs-(으)ㄹ 틈이 없다Almost the same meaning, but 틈 is more conversational while 겨를 sounds more written and formal: 바빠서 쉴 틈이 없어요.

-(으)ㄹ 겨를이 없다vs-(으)ㄹ 시간이 없다시간이 없다 is neutral and works for simple schedule conflicts; 겨를 implies being swamped with no spare moment: 내일은 회의가 있어서 만날 시간이 없어요 (겨를 sounds odd here).

-(으)ㄹ 겨를이 없다vs-(으)ㄹ 여유가 없다여유 covers lack of money or mental room too, while 겨를 is only about time: 집을 살 여유가 없어요 (not 겨를).

How to build it

V+(으)ㄹ 겨를이 없다 (also: 겨를도 없다, 겨를도 없이)

쉬다 → 쉴 겨를이 없다; 먹다 → 먹을 겨를이 없다

Attach it to action verbs. For feelings, use the verb form with -어하다: 슬퍼할 겨를도 없었다, not 슬플 겨를도 없었다.
Past tense goes only on 없다; the verb before it stays in the -(으)ㄹ form: 쉴 겨를이 없었다.
It is used almost only in the negative; 겨를이 있다 appears mainly in rhetorical questions like 쉴 겨를이 어디 있어요? Adding 도 (겨를도 없다) makes it stronger.
The adverbial form 겨를도 없이 means 'without even time to ~' and is followed by another action: 인사할 겨를도 없이 떠났다.

Classic mistake

Wrong: ~~어제는 너무 바빠서 밥을 먹었을 겨를이 없었어요.~~

Right: 어제는 너무 바빠서 밥을 먹을 겨를이 없었어요.

The verb before 겨를 always stays in the -(으)ㄹ form; past tense is shown only on 없었어요.

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