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N5Lesson notes · Oct 3, 2026

Now in Japanese: 今いま (ima), 今いますぐ, and the "now" that isn''t 今いま

"Now" in Japanese is 今いま (いま, ima) — but only when it means "at this moment"; the "now" in "now, let's begin" or "now I understand" is a different word entirely.

Learners stumble because English uses "now" for two jobs: a point in time, and a way of starting a sentence. Japanese splits them. 今いま handles time, and a handful of small words handle the talking-flow "now". Once you see the split, 今いますぐ, 今いまから and 今いままで stop looking like random vocabulary.

The basics

How do you say "now" in Japanese?

Say 今いま (いま). It is a noun meaning "the present moment," and in normal use it sits in a sentence with no particle after it, exactly like "now" in English.

今いま、何時なんじですか。 — What time is it now? (polite, everyday) 今いま、忙いそがしい? — Are you busy now? (casual) 今いま、駅えきにいるよ。 — I'm at the station now. (casual, texting a friend)

Notice there is no に or は. You do not say 今いまに忙いそがしい. Time words like 今いま simply drop into the sentence, usually near the start, followed by a comma-like pause. Hiragana only: いま. "Right now in Japanese" is most often just 今いま, or 今いますぐ when you mean "immediately" (see below).

When does 今いまは take a particle?

Add は when you contrast now with another time: "now, as opposed to before or later." The は carries the contrast.

今いまは大丈夫だいじょうぶです。 — I'm fine now (though I wasn't before). (polite, implies a contrast with earlier) 昔むかしは苦手にがてだったけど、今いまは好すき。 — I used to dislike it, but now I like it. (casual, before-and-after)

If you have no contrast in mind, leave the は off. Plain 今いま、大丈夫だいじょうぶです is the neutral version.

How do you say "right now" or "immediately"?

Use 今いますぐ. The すぐ adds "at once," so it means "right now, this instant," often with some urgency.

今いますぐ来きて! — Come right now! (casual, urgent) 今いますぐやります。 — I'll do it right away. (polite, to a boss or teacher)

How do you say "from now" and "until now"?

Attach から (from) or まで (until) directly to 今いま. No の, no に.

今いまから始はじめます。 — We'll start now. (polite, the starting point is this moment) 今いままで、ありがとう。 — Thank you for everything up to now. (casual-warm, a farewell line)

今いまから is a starting line: something begins at this moment and continues. 今いままで is a finish line: it covers everything up to the present.

Beyond the basics

What do 今いまでも and 今いまのところ mean?

Two useful extensions. 今いまでも means "even now" or "still," with a hint of surprise or loyalty. 今いまのところ means "for now" or "so far," a status check that admits things may change.

今いまでも、あの歌うたが好すきです。 — I still like that song even now. (polite, nostalgic) 今いまのところ、問題もんだいはないよ。 — No problems so far. (casual, a status report)

If "still" is your actual target, compare it with まだ in already and still in Japanese. 今いまでも is "even now, despite time passing," while まだ is "not finished yet."

What is the difference between たった今いま and さっき?

Both are in the past, but at different distances. たった今いま is "just now," seconds or a minute ago. さっき is "a little while ago," anywhere from a few minutes to an hour or so.

たった今いま、電車でんしゃが出でました。 — The train just left. (polite, a moment ago) さっき、連絡れんらくがあったよ。 — I got a message a little while ago. (casual, vague recent past)

たった今いま also appears as "I just now..." in speech: たった今いま着ついたところ, "I only just arrived."

Is 今日きょう the same as 今いま?

They share the kanji 今いま but are different words. 今日きょう is read きょう and means "today." 今週こんしゅう (こんしゅう, this week) and 今月こんげつ (こんげつ, this month) use the reading こん. So the kanji means "this/current," and the reading changes with the word. For the whole today–tomorrow–yesterday set, see today, tomorrow and yesterday in Japanese.

How do you politely ask "is now a good time?"

Say 今いま、いいですか? You are asking whether the other person has a moment. It is a natural opener before a question or a request.

今いま、いいですか。 — Is now a good time? (polite, at a colleague's desk) 今いま、ちょっといい? — Got a minute right now? (casual, to a friend)

A soft "no" follows the usual pattern: すみません、今いまはちょっと… trails off, and now the は makes sense, because you are contrasting "now" with "later."

What about the "now" that isn't time at all?

English "Now, let's begin" or "Now, where was I?" is not about the clock. Japanese uses a transition word instead: さて for a formal topic change, じゃあ for a casual one.

さて、始はじめましょうか。 — Now, shall we begin? (polite, moving to the next step) じゃあ、帰かえろう。 — Now then, let's go home. (casual, wrapping up)

If you translate this "now" as 今いま, the sentence changes meaning: 今いま、始はじめましょう is "let's begin at this moment," which sounds oddly literal.

And the "now" in "now I understand"?

That "now" means "finally." Use やっと when something took effort, and なるほど when you are simply reacting to an explanation. Our notes on やっと and ようやく cover the effort side, and なるほど covers the reaction.

やっとわかった! — Now I finally get it! (casual, after struggling) なるほど、そういうことか。 — I see, so that's what it is. (casual, the lightbulb moment)

How does 今いま sound in anime?

Action scenes love short, sharp 今いま. In shounen anime you often hear a character shout 今いまだ! ("Now!") at the exact moment to strike, and 今いまのうちに ("while we still can") when time is running out. These lines are invented here, but the patterns are everywhere.

今いまだ、行いけ! — Now! Go! (casual, shouted at the decisive moment) 今いまのうちに逃にげるぞ。 — Let's run while we can. (casual, rough male speech) 今度こんどこそ、勝かつ。 — This time, I'll win. (casual, determined)

The last line uses 今度こんど (こんど), which looks like 今いま but means "this time" or "next time," not "now." It is worth noticing because it reuses the same こん reading.

Why is 今度こんど so confusing?

今度こんど (こんど) looks like "now" but points at an event, not a moment: "this time," "next time," or occasionally "the other time." The tense of the sentence usually tells you which one. With a future verb it means "next time"; with a past verb it can mean "this time (just now)."

今度こんど、一緒いっしょに行いこう。 — Let's go together next time. (casual, a vague future plan) 今度こんどは負まけないよ。 — I won't lose this time. (casual, は adds a contrast with the last time)

Native speakers use 今度こんど as a soft, non-committal "sometime" the way English uses "we should do this again." If you need a firm date, follow it with a real one: 今度こんどの土曜日どようび ("this coming Saturday").

What is 現在げんざい and how is it different from 今いま?

現在げんざい (げんざい) means "at present" or "currently." It is the written, formal cousin of 今いま, common in news, forms, schedules and announcements. In speech it sounds stiff unless you are reading something out.

現在げんざい、準備中じゅんびちゅうです。 — We are currently preparing it. (polite, a sign on a shop or website) 現在げんざいの時刻じこくは3時じです。 — The current time is three o'clock. (formal, a broadcast or station announcement)

A good rule: if a sentence would sit comfortably on a notice board, 現在げんざい fits. If it would come out of a friend's mouth, use 今いま.

What are ただいま and ただいまより?

ただいま (只今ただいま) is an old, polite word for "right now" or "just now." You hear it in announcements, and in the greeting everyone knows. Two uses matter for learners:

ただいまより、開会かいかいいたします。 — We will now begin the opening. (very formal, an announcement) ただいま戻もどりました。 — I'm back. (polite, said when you arrive home or at the office)

In the first line, ただいまより is the announcement "now" that starts an event, so it is another job for "now" that 今いま does not cover well. In the second, ただいま is the greeting, and the reply is おかえりなさい. Over time you will notice that the same word does "right now" in an announcement and "I'm home" at the door, because both mean "at this moment I have arrived."

Common mistakes

  • Writing 今いまに for "now." 今いまに is not "at this moment"; it means "before long, eventually" (as in 今いまに分わかるよ, "you'll understand soon"). For "now," use 今いま with no particle.
  • Translating discourse "now" as 今いま. "Now, let's move on" is さて or じゃあ. 今いま only works when you can replace "now" with "at this moment."
  • Mixing up 今いますぐ and 今いまから. If you also want "soon" instead of "right now," compare with もうすぐ in later and soon in Japanese. 今いますぐ行いく means "I'll go this instant." 今いまから行いく means "I'm leaving from now," so it describes a start, not urgency. If you want "immediately," pick 今いますぐ.
  • Using たった今いま for something an hour ago. That is さっき. たった今いま is only for a moment ago.

The "now" expressions at a glance

Expression Meaning Example use
今いま now, at this moment 今いま、何時なんじですか。
今いまは now (as opposed to before or later) 今いまは大丈夫だいじょうぶです。
今いますぐ right now, immediately 今いますぐ来きて!
今いまから starting now, from now 今いまから始はじめます。
今いままで until now, up to now 今いままで、ありがとう。
今いまでも even now, still 今いまでも好すきです。
今いまのところ for now, so far 今いまのところ問題もんだいない。
たった今いま just now, a moment ago たった今いま着つきました。
さっき a little while ago さっき連絡れんらくがあったよ。
さて / じゃあ "now, ..." as a transition さて、始はじめましょう。

Practice

Build each answer before opening it. Questions 3 and 4 are a pair — the same word 今いま, two different "now" meanings.

1. Ask "What time is it now?" in polite Japanese.

Show answer

今いま、何時なんじですか — 今いま stays bare with no particle; it just drops into the sentence like "now."

2. You want to say "I'm fine now (but I wasn't earlier)." Which particle do you add to 今いま?

Show answer

は — 今いまは大丈夫だいじょうぶです. The は marks a contrast between now and another time.

3. Say "Come right now!" with the urgency of "this instant."

Show answer

今いますぐ来きて — すぐ adds "at once," so 今いますぐ means immediately.

4. Say "We'll start from now" in polite Japanese.

Show answer

今いまから始はじめます — 今いまから marks the starting point. It describes when something begins, not how urgent it is. This is the pair to question 3.

5. Which word fits "Thank you for everything up to now": 今いまから or 今いままで?

Show answer

今いままで — まで means "until," so it covers everything up to this moment. 今いまから would point forward.

6. Choose the right one: the train left 20 seconds ago (たった今いま or さっき)?

Show answer

たった今いま — it means "just now," a few seconds to a minute ago. さっき is a little while ago, minutes to an hour.

7. How do you politely check "Is now a good time?" before asking a question?

Show answer

今いま、いいですか — the standard polite opener. The casual version is 今いま、ちょっといい?

8. In "Now, let's begin," what Japanese word do you use for the "now," and why not 今いま?

Show answer

さて (or じゃあ in casual speech) — this "now" is a transition word, not a time. 今いま would turn it into "at this moment," which sounds literal.

9. What does 今いまのうちに mean in an anime line like 今いまのうちに逃にげるぞ?

Show answer

"While we still can" — のうちに marks a window of time that is about to close, so the sentence means "let's run while there is still time."

Use a trial lesson to say 今いま for this very moment, and ask which other word covers the "now" in "now, let's begin".

FAQ

Is 今いま read いま or こん? Alone it is いま ("now"). Inside compounds it often becomes こん, as in 今週こんしゅう (こんしゅう) and 今月こんげつ (こんげつ), but 今日きょう is きょう. The kanji means "this, current," and each word fixes its own reading.

What is "now in Japanese hiragana"? いま. You can write it as 今いま or いま; both are normal. Hiragana is common in children's books and text meant for beginners.

How do you say "right now" in Japanese? Use 今いますぐ for "immediately," or plain 今いま for "at this moment." If you mean "at this very second as we speak," 今いままさに is a stronger, more dramatic option, often heard in announcements.

Can I say 今いまは for every "now"? No. は adds contrast, so 今いまは suggests "now, as opposed to another time." If you are not contrasting, plain 今いま sounds more neutral.

Is "now" ever 今いま in the sense of "well then"? No. The "well then, now..." opening is さて or じゃあ. Using 今いま there makes the sentence about the clock, not about moving on.

Vocabulary from this article

Tap the block to select all of it, then copy. In Anki: File → Import, note type Basic, separator Tab — the first column becomes the front, the second the back.

今	いま — now
今すぐ	いますぐ — right now, immediately
今から	いまから — starting now, from now
今まで	いままで — until now
今でも	いまでも — even now, still
今のところ	いまのところ — for now, so far
たった今	たったいま — just now
さっき	さっき — a little while ago
今日	きょう — today
今週	こんしゅう — this week
今月	こんげつ — this month
さて	さて — well then, now (transition)
じゃあ	じゃあ — well then, so
やっと	やっと — finally
なるほど	なるほど — I see
今度	こんど — this time, next time
今のうちに	いまのうちに — while we still can
現在	げんざい — at present, currently
ただいま	ただいま — right now (formal); I'm back
開会	かいかい — opening (of a meeting)
準備中	じゅんびちゅう — in preparation

I'm Yuuki, a Japanese teacher based in Tokyo. I've taught on italki as a Top 1% teacher and watched over 1,500 anime, so most of the example sentences on this blog come from lines I've actually heard students ask about — including this one, since "now" trips up nearly everyone in their first few months. For practice with feedback, Book a trial lesson · $13, or work through Japanese practice exercises first.

Sources: the author's own lessons and standard reference grammars.

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