いま — 日本語 to English Context Definition

いま

ima

nounadverb★Beginner

informal

now; at this moment

いま、何してる？

What are you doing now?

いまから行くよ

I'm coming now.

💡

Commonly used in casual conversation to refer to the present time.

neutral

currently; at present

いま、日本語を勉強しています

I am currently studying Japanese.

💡

Used in both formal and informal contexts to describe ongoing actions or states.

いまからfrom nowいままでuntil nowいまこそnow is the time

いまにphrase

soon

いままでphrase

until now

Use '今' (kanji) in formal writing or professional contexts, while 'いま' (hiragana) is more natural in spoken Japanese.

'いま' always refers to the present moment, not a general or abstract present.

Derived from the kanji '今' (now), which is a simple and straightforward representation of the concept of the present moment.

While '今' (kanji) is more formal, 'いま' (hiragana) is more commonly used in everyday speech.

いま

now

root

✎ Noted on May 2, 2026JA → EN