KanjiGami
Remembering Kanji Made Easy.
49

Now, Present

いま (ima)

JLPT N5

Interesting Fact

One of Japan's most famous expressions is 一期一会 (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

いま (ima)
Now
今日
きょう (kyou)
Today
今月
こんげつ (kongetsu)
This month
今年
ことし (kotoshi)
This year

Example Sentence

今、勉強しています。

いま、べんきょう しています。

ima, benkyou shiteimasu

I am studying now.

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