1.
to spare time; to make time for; to find time
To allocate or set aside time from a busy schedule for something. Implies that one is busy and making an effort to find time.
時間を割いてくれた。
They spared their time for me.
Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule.
The verb 割く means to split or divide, giving the image of carving out a portion from a busy schedule.
Common patterns
- 時間を割く: to spare/make time
- ～に時間を割く: to devote time to ~
- 時間を割いていただく: to have someone spare their time (humble/polite)
Common collocations
Register
Very common in polite business contexts, especially when thanking someone: お忙しいところ時間を割いていただきありがとうございます。