Translation guide
Expresses that something happened a very short time ago, or is happening at this immediate moment. Japanese uses different expressions depending on whether you mean 'a moment ago' (past) or 'right at this instant' (present).
The speaker refers to an action or event that occurred only a short while before the present moment.
The most common and natural way to say 'just now' for a very recent past action. Often used with past tense verbs.
たった今、帰ってきたところです。
I just got home now.
たった今、電話がありました。
There was a phone call just now.
Slightly more formal than たった今. Often used in polite conversation or business settings.
今しがた、お客様がお見えになりました。
A guest arrived just now.
Casual and very common in spoken Japanese. Means 'a little while ago', but can overlap with 'just now' in informal contexts.
さっき、彼に会ったよ。
I saw him just now.
Emphasizes that something happened only a moment ago, even more recent than さっき alone. Casual.
ついさっきまでここにいたんだけど。
He was here just now, though.
The speaker emphasizes that something is happening exactly at the present moment, often with a sense of immediacy.
Simple 'now'. When combined with a progressive verb form, it can convey 'just now' in the sense of 'right now'.
今、ちょうど出かけるところです。
I'm just now about to leave.
今、着いたばかりです。
I've just now arrived.
Adds emphasis, meaning 'exactly now' or 'just at this moment'.
ちょうど今、メールを送ったところです。
I sent the email just now.
Used with negative forms to mean 'not until just now' or 'only just now'.
Pattern meaning 'have only just done something'. Emphasizes the recency of the action.
たった今、食べたばかりです。
I just ate a moment ago.
While not a direct translation of 'just now', this pattern is used when 'just now' implies 'not yet' in English.
まだ終わっていません。たった今始めたばかりです。
I haven't finished yet. I just started just now.
たった今 is more precise and immediate, often used for things that happened within the last few minutes. さっき is more vague and can refer to a slightly longer time ago, similar to 'a while ago'. In formal situations, stick to たった今 or 今しがた.
たった今、地震がありました。
An earthquake occurred just now.
さっき、地震があったけど、もう大丈夫。
There was an earthquake a little while ago, but it's okay now.
Using 今 (いま) alone with a past tense verb can be ambiguous. It often means 'now' in a broader sense. To clearly express 'just now' in the past, use たった今 or さっき.
I ate now. (ambiguous, could mean 'I'm eating now' in some contexts)
たった今、食べた。
I ate just now.