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.
I just got home now.
There was a phone call just now.
Slightly more formal than たった今. Often used in polite conversation or business settings.
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.
I saw him just now.
Emphasizes that something happened only a moment ago, even more recent than さっき alone. Casual.
He was here just now, though.
The speaker emphasizes that something is happening exactly at the present moment, often with a sense of immediacy.
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.
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.
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.
An earthquake occurred just now.
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 just now.