now
- 01 A1 Beginner
adv.at the present time or right away.
adv.at the current moment or in the immediate future.
Simple“I am busy now, but I can help you in ten minutes.”
In context“The software is now available for download, following several months of rigorous beta testing by the development team.”
Synonyms - 02 B1 Intermediate
adv.used to start a new sentence when you want to change the subject or give a warning.
adv.used as a discourse marker to introduce a new topic, a qualification, or a mild rebuke.
Simple“Now, let's look at the next page of the book.”
In context“Now, it is important to realize that these figures are only estimates and may change before the final report is published.”
- 03 B1 Intermediate
conj.used to explain that something is happening because a situation has changed.
conj.used to introduce a clause that explains a present situation or result; often functions as 'since' or 'because'.
Simple“Now that the rain has stopped, we can go for a walk.”
In context“Now that the merger is complete, the combined entity expects to see significant growth in the European market.”
- 04 B1 Intermediate
n.the time that is happening right at this moment.
n.the present time or the immediate moment, often used after a preposition.
Simple“Up until now, we haven't had any problems with the car.”
In context“The philosopher argued that we should focus on the here and now rather than worrying about an uncertain future.”
- 05 C1 Advanced
adj.very modern and popular at this time.
adj.currently fashionable or trendy; often used in media or marketing contexts.
Simple“That style of jacket is very now.”
In context“The magazine features all the most now designers who are shaping the aesthetic of the current decade.”
SynonymsAntonymsdatedold fashioned
From Middle English now, nou, nu, from Old English nū, from Proto-West Germanic nū, from Proto-Germanic nu, from Proto-Indo-European *nū (“now”). Doublet of nu ("well?"). Cognates Cognate with Scots noo, nou, now (“now”), Yola neow, now, nowe (“now”), North Frisian nü (“now”), Saterland Frisian nu (“now”), West Frisian no (“now”), Dutch nu, nou (“now”), German nu, nun (“now”), Limburgish noe, Nuu (“now”), Danish, Swedish nu (“now”), Elfdalian nų (“now”), Faroese nú, núgv (“now”), Icelandic nú, núna (“now”), Norwegian Bokmål nu, nå (“now”), Norwegian Nynorsk no, nu, nå (“now”), Gothic 𐌽𐌿 (nu, “now”), Latin num (“even now, whether”), Latin nunc (“now”), Albanian ni (“now”), Lithuanian nù (“now”), Avestan 𐬥𐬏 (nū, “now”), Sanskrit नु (nu, “now”).
See know.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
For Mandarin speakers Mandarin lacks a distinct present continuous tense marker equivalent to the English auxiliary 'be' + '-ing'; instead, speakers often use the particle '在 (zài)' before a verb. Consequently, learners frequently omit the auxiliary verb and say 'I now eating' instead of 'I am eating now'.
The Mandarin phrase '从现在开始 (cóng xiànzài kāishǐ)' is literally 'from now start', which leads speakers to produce the redundant collocation 'from now on start' instead of the standard 'starting now' or 'from now on'.
For Japanese speakers Japanese phonology lacks the /aʊ/ diphthong, frequently replacing it with a sequence of two distinct vowels /a/ and /ɯ/. This causes the word to be produced as /naɯ/, often adding a mora compared to the English monosyllable.
Japanese marks time-related shifts with the particle 'mō' (もう), which covers both 'now' and 'already'. Consequently, learners frequently produce 'I am finished now' when 'I have already finished' is required by English aspectual rules.