今 (いま, ima) Japanese meaning: now

今 (いま, ima) Japanese meaning: now | Kotomora

Kanji

現げん在ざいN3sense 1
現在 is the formal, often written word for 'the present time', while 今 is the everyday word for 'now'.
今いまやN2
今 is the plain, everyday word for 'now', while 今や adds emphasis on a striking contrast with the past.
ナウ
いま is the plain, standard word for 'now', while ナウ as a suffix is casual net-slang used to announce one's current location or activity in social posts.
今いま頃ごろN1
今 means the exact present moment, while 今頃 refers more loosely to around this time, often with a nuance of guessing or contrast.

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ただいまN5
いま is the plain, everyday word for 'now', while ただいま is the more formal or polite equivalent used in announcements and service settings.
目もっ下かN1
今 is the everyday, all-purpose word for 'now', whereas 目下 is stiffer and typically confined to formal writing.
たった今いまN4
今 is the neutral word for 'now', while たった今 adds emphasis that the action happened only moments before speaking.

昔むかしN4sense 1
今 refers to the present moment while 昔 refers to a bygone time in the past.
後のち々のち
今 means 'now, the present,' the direct time-contrast to 後々, which points to a later, future stage.
元もとN3
元は describes how something used to be, while 今 describes how it is now, often contrasted together (元は貧しかったが、今は金持ちだ).

ただいまpolite 丁寧語N5sense 1
今 is the plain, everyday word for 'now', while ただ今 is its polite/formal counterpart used in business or announcements.

今いま頃ごろN1sense 1
今 simply means 'now', whereas 今頃 means 'around this time' and often carries a nuance of lateness or coincidence.
今いま更さらN2sense 1
今 is neutral 'now', while 今更 means 'now, after all this time' and implies it's too late to matter.

今いまUsage73%
Standard kanji spelling; high-frequency word.
いまUsage27%
Kana spelling is common in informal writing and when the kanji is not needed.
イマUsage<1%

Native Japanese word. The kanji 今 is a pictograph representing the present moment, but the reading いま is not derived from Chinese.