How to Say ‘Right now’ in Japanese
いまは
ima wa
[ee-mah wah]
💬 Usage Tip: [いまは] often means “for now” rather than “this exact second.” It can gently signal “no need at this time.”
🇯🇵 In Japan: If a doctor says [いまは だいじょうぶです], it usually means “currently okay—let’s monitor,” not necessarily “problem solved forever.”
Phrase Breakdown
いま
ima
[ee-mah]
now; right now
In いまは, いま sets the time frame that will be contrasted or emphasized.
いまは痛みがありません。
Right now, I don’t have any pain.
は
wa
[wah]
topic marker (wa)
Pronounced 'wa.' In いまは, it means 'as for now/for the time being.'
いまは薬はいりません。
For now, you don’t need medicine.
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