There's/there are only so many hours in a day

Phrase of the day

Discover a new phrase each day to use in your English! These are special phrases and sayings that English speakers use all the time, but you don't often see these phrases in English course books or other study material. Visit daily to learn some popular English phrases on a regular basis.

12 March 2026

There's/there are only so many hours in a day

We use this expression to say we have more things to do than time to do them in.

Written: No

Spoken: Yes

Formal: No

Informal: Yes

Example 1

You've got to arrange everything for the conference next week by tomorrow!

There are only so many hours in a day. I can't do it all on my own. I need help.

Example 2

Being a mother of two young children is really difficult. It's like two full-time jobs!

Yes, and there's only so many hours in a day!

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Apr2026

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