今いまにも

い

ま

に

も

Common wordJLPTN4Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

at any moment; on the verge of; just about to

Describes an imminent action or event that seems about to happen right now. Often used with verbs in the potential or non-past form, and carries a sense of urgency or expectation.

今いまにも雨あめが降ふり出だしそうだ。
It looks like it's going to start raining at any moment.
彼かれは今いまにも泣なき出だしそうな顔かおをしていた。
He had a face that looked like he was about to burst into tears.

See all 41 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

今いまにも〈動どう詞し〉そうだlooks like it could happen at any moment
今いまにも雨あめが降ふりそうだ。
It looks like it could start raining any moment now.
今いまにも〈動どう詞し〉んばかりにas if about to do something (emphasizing the imminent, almost-happening state)
彼かの女じょは今いまにも泣なき出ださんばかりに顔かおをゆがめた。
She twisted her face as if she were about to burst into tears at any moment.
今いまにも〈動どう詞し〉ところだったwas just about to happen (but didn't, in the end)
バスは今いまにも出しゅっ発ぱつするところだった。
The bus was just about to leave.

Kanji

今now

Related words

もうすぐN5
もうすぐ means 'soon' in a neutral sense about the passage of time, while 今にも stresses visible signs that something could happen at any moment.
今いますぐ
今すぐ means 'right now' and is often used to demand immediate action, while 今にも describes an event that seems about to occur on its own, without a command.
まさにN3
いまにも focuses purely on something being about to happen, whereas 正に can add a stronger sense of 'truly, right at this instant'.

Don't confuse with

今いまやN2
今にも means 'at any moment' (something is about to happen), while 今や means 'now' with emphasis on a change already realized.

Etymology

Compound of 今 (ima, 'now') + に (ni, particle) + も (mo, particle). The combination にも adds emphasis, giving the sense of 'even now' or 'at this very moment', which developed into the adverbial meaning of imminence.