今
いま
ima
= now; the present; just now
今 (ima) packs three temporal meanings into just two strokes — “now,” “just now,” and the present era — making it one of the most time-efficient words in Japanese. Its simplicity belies its range: from casual texting to philosophical reflection on the present moment.
今 (ima) covers three overlapping senses of “now.” The most common is right now / at this moment: 今どこ？ (ima doko?) means “Where are you right now?” in casual speech. It also means just now, as in 今来た (ima kita, “I just arrived”) — describing something that happened moments ago. The third sense is the present era or time: 今の日本 (ima no Nihon) means “Japan of today” or “present-day Japan.”
Note that 今 is read as ima in native Japanese words, but shifts to kon or kin in Sino-Japanese compounds: 今日 (kyou, today), 今週 (konshuu, this week), 今月 (kongetsu, this month), 今年 (kotoshi, this year). These compound readings must be memorized separately.
One common point of confusion: 居間 (ima) also means “living room” — a completely different word that happens to share the same pronunciation but uses different kanji.
Learners often wonder when to use 今 (ima) versus 現在 (genzai). 今 is the casual, conversational choice — you’d use it with friends or in everyday situations. 現在 is formal and appears in official announcements, written reports, or news broadcasts (e.g., 現在調査中です, “We are currently investigating”).
Two derived expressions are especially worth learning early: 今さら (imasara) means “at this late stage” or “it’s too late to bring that up now” — often carrying a tone of exasperation. 今後 (kongo) means “from now on” or “hereafter” and is common in both spoken and written Japanese when making plans or commitments.
今 is composed of just two strokes and is one of the simplest kanji in the language. Traditional mnemonics describe the character as a person (人) entering under a roof (𠆢), capturing the sense of “arriving right at this moment.” The character appears in oracle bone script dating back over 3,000 years, already carrying the meaning of immediacy and the present instant.
Everyday use
今、何をしているの？
Ima, nani o shite iru no?
What are you doing right now?
Casual / Social Media
今どこ？もうすぐ着く？
Ima doko? Mousugu tsuku?
Where are you now? Are you almost here?
Formal / Cultural context
現在の状況について、今ご説明いたします。
Genzai no joukyou ni tsuite, ima go-setsumei itashimasu.
I will now explain the current situation.
The phrase 今を生きる (ima o ikiru, “to live in the now”) resonates deeply in Japanese Zen philosophy and modern mindfulness culture. Rather than dwelling on the past or anxious about the future, the concept emphasizes full presence in the current moment — a value that surfaces in everything from tea ceremony (where each gathering is treated as a once-in-a-lifetime encounter, 一期一会) to contemporary self-help books.
In J-pop lyrics and youth slang, 今 carries a strong sense of cultural currency. 今っぽい (ima-ppoi) means “trendy” or “very of-the-moment” — something that feels current and fashionable right now. The word appears constantly in song titles and social media captions where artists and influencers want to signal that their content captures the present cultural mood rather than referencing the past.