시도 때도 없다

Korean

Etymology

시(時) (si, “time, hour”, Sino-Korean word) +‎ 도 (-do, “even”) +‎ 때 (ttae, “time, moment”, native Korean word) +‎ 도 (-do, “even”) +‎ 없다 (eopda, “to be without”): "to be without [a specific] hour or moment [for it to occur]" > "to occur at any moment, to be recurrent".

Compare 한(限)도 끝도 없다 (han-do kkeut-do eopda), again juxtaposing a Sino-Korean word with a native synonym for emphasis.

Pronunciation

(SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [ɕʰido̞ t͈ɛdo̞ ɘ(ː)p̚t͈a̠] ~ [ɕʰido̞ t͈e̞do̞ ɘ(ː)p̚t͈a̠]
Phonetic hangul: [시도 때도 업(ː)따/시도 떼도 업(ː)따]
- Though still prescribed in Standard Korean, most speakers in both Koreas no longer distinguish vowel length.

Romanizations
Revised Romanization^?	sido ttaedo eopda
Revised Romanization (translit.)^?	sido ttaedo eobsda
McCune–Reischauer^?	sido ttaedo ŏpta
Yale Romanization^?	sito ttayto ēpsta

Idiom

시 도 때 도 없다 • (si-do ttae-do eopda)

to be recurrent
시도 때도 없이 찾아오는 두통 ― si-do ttae-do eopsi chajaoneun dutong ― recurrent headache