How can I say "Right now", or "At that exact moment"?

Question

Saying "now" is easy, with 今, but in my experience that doesn't express so much "right now, this instant" as it does "currently". I am looking for structure that translates these examples well: - I have just now been thinking about that. - At that exact moment, X happened. Edit: I also know that I have heard a grammatical structure for "I was in the middle of something (watching TV) and then I was interrupted by X (the phone ringing / an earthquake)". Anyone knows what I mean?

Answer 1

To say "right now" you have a few options. Which one is most appropriate will vary with context.

You can use ちょうど今 to mean "just now [a moment ago]" as in 「ちょうど今電話が鳴りました」"The phone rang just now."

今すぐ is perhaps the opposite, used to describe actions that happen immediately after the utterance. Because of this it is often used for commands as in 「今すぐ宿題をしなさい！」"Do your homework right now." But it can also be used in declarative statements, such as 「今すぐ宿題をします。」"I'm going to do my homework right now.

In formal contexts, you will often hear the polite expression ただ今 (of which the ただいま meaning "I'm home" is a derivation). This is similar to 今すぐ in that it describes what will happen directly after the utterance. You will often hear it used in announcements in public places, such as「ただ今、電車がまいります。」"The train will arrive presently.

As for your question about a construction to describe being interrupted, you will often hear people use 「途中」which by itself means "in the middle of" or "on the way to." In your example sentences, it could be used as follows: 「テレビを見る途中で電話が鳴りました。」This does not however, convey the same degree of annoyance as the English word "interrupt."

I hope you find this helpful.

Answer 2

Hi Raymond,

Your use of “currently” is good if you are referring to something happening in the present that is ongoing. But if you want an “interruptive” word, consider the word, “suddenly.” There are other phrases that might work, too, depending on the context. See examples with the asterisked (*) words or phrases used below:

Examples:

“*Suddenly*, there was a knock at the door!”

”I returned to my home, *only to find* a new problem!”

”Matilda, clean up this mess *right this instant*!” (means “right now!”)

”I need this report, *STAT*!” (STAT MEANS “right now/immediately and comes from medical Latin terminology. Picture a doctor in surgery asking for a medical instrument or procedure needed to save one’s life.)

”I need you to finish this assignment *ASAP*!” (ASAP stands for “as soon as possible.” You can also use this phrase instead of the acronym letters. It is slightly less immediate than “STAT” in that we need it as fast as humanly possible, but we realize it may take a bit of time that it can’t get done “right this instant.” )

I hope these quick ideas help!

Linda Thelen, M.Ed. :-)

Reading and English Language Specialist