How to Say ‘A moment ago / earlier’ in Japanese
さっき
sakki
[sahk-kee]
💬 Usage Tip: [さっき] means “a little while ago.” It’s casual; for more formal speech you can use [先ほど].
🇯🇵 In Japan: Japanese conversation often references timing precisely; [さっき] is a handy everyday word when retracing steps (“Where was it earlier?”).
Phrase Breakdown
さっき
sakki
[sahk-kee]
a moment ago; earlier
Casual time word for the recent past. Often used in conversation (more casual than 先ほど).
さっき、駅で田中さんに会いました。
I met Tanaka at the station a moment ago.
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