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今

Now, Present

いま (ima)

JLPT N5

Interesting Fact

One of Japan's most famous expressions is δΈ€ζœŸδΈ€δΌš (ichigo ichie), often translated as 'One time, One meeting.' The idea is that every encounter happens only once in exactly that form, so it should be appreciated while it's happening. The phrase originated from the Japanese tea ceremony and serves as a reminder to cherish the present moment, because the same meeting can never be perfectly recreated.

Memory Trick

Imagine a person sitting on a bench beneath a temple roof, quietly practicing "The Art of being present." That's 今, the kanji for now.

Readings

Onyomi: コン (kon), キン (kin)

Kunyomi: いま (ima)

Example Words

今
いま (ima)
Now
今ζ—₯
きょう (kyou)
Today
今月
こんげ぀ (kongetsu)
This month
今年
ことし (kotoshi)
This year

Example Sentence

δ»Šγ€ε‹‰εΌ·γ—γ¦γ„γΎγ™γ€‚

いま、べんきょう しています。

ima, benkyou shiteimasu

I am studying now.

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