Have you ever wondered how to say “now” in different languages while traveling, learning a new language, chatting with international friends, or creating multilingual content?
The word “now” is one of the most useful everyday expressions because it refers to the present moment and appears constantly in conversations, messages, instructions, and social media.
Although the basic meaning stays the same, each language has its own spelling and pronunciation. Learning these translations can make communication easier and help you understand how people express the idea of the present moment around the world.
Below, you will find 70 different languages, their native words for “now,” an easy English pronunciation, and a practical example sentence with its English meaning.
Quick Answer: How Do You Say “Now” in Different Languages?
The word “now” has many forms around the world. For example, it is ahora in Spanish, maintenant in French, jetzt in German, ahora in Portuguese, сейчас (seychas) in Russian, and 今 (ima) in Japanese.
“Now” in All Languages: 70 Translations
The table below provides now translations in 70 languages. Pronunciations are simplified for English learners so you can get a practical idea of how each expression sounds.
| # | Language | Native Phrase | Easy English Pronunciation | Example Sentence | English Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | now | now | I need it now. | I need it at this moment. |
| 2 | Spanish | ahora | uh-OH-rah | Lo necesito ahora. | I need it now. |
| 3 | French | maintenant | ment-NAHN | Je pars maintenant. | I am leaving now. |
| 4 | German | jetzt | yetst | Ich komme jetzt. | I am coming now. |
| 5 | Italian | adesso | ah-DESS-oh | Vengo adesso. | I am coming now. |
| 6 | Portuguese | agora | ah-GOH-rah | Vou agora. | I am going now. |
| 7 | Dutch | nu | noo | Ik kom nu. | I am coming now. |
| 8 | Afrikaans | nou | now | Ek gaan nou. | I am going now. |
| 9 | Swedish | nu | noo | Jag går nu. | I am leaving now. |
| 10 | Norwegian | nå | naw | Jeg kommer nå. | I am coming now. |
| 11 | Danish | nu | noo | Jeg kommer nu. | I am coming now. |
| 12 | Finnish | nyt | nuht | Tulen nyt. | I am coming now. |
| 13 | Icelandic | nú | noo | Ég fer núna. | I am leaving now. |
| 14 | Estonian | nüüd | nuud | Ma tulen nüüd. | I am coming now. |
| 15 | Latvian | tagad | tah-GAHD | Ma eju tagad. | I am going now. |
| 16 | Lithuanian | dabar | dah-BAR | Aš einu dabar. | I am going now. |
| 17 | Polish | teraz | TEH-raz | Idę teraz. | I am going now. |
| 18 | Czech | teď | ted | Jdu teď. | I am going now. |
| 19 | Slovak | teraz | TEH-raz | Idem teraz. | I am going now. |
| 20 | Slovenian | zdaj | zdai | Grem zdaj. | I am going now. |
| 21 | Croatian | sada | SAH-dah | Dolazim sada. | I am coming now. |
| 22 | Serbian | sada | SAH-dah | Dolazim sada. | I am coming now. |
| 23 | Bosnian | sada | SAH-dah | Dolazim sada. | I am coming now. |
| 24 | Bulgarian | сега | seh-GAH | Идвам сега. | I am coming now. |
| 25 | Macedonian | сега | seh-GAH | Доаѓам сега. | I am coming now. |
| 26 | Russian | сейчас | see-CHAS | Я приду сейчас. | I will come now. |
| 27 | Ukrainian | зараз | zah-RAZ | Я прийду зараз. | I will come now. |
| 28 | Belarusian | зараз | zah-RAZ | Я прыйду зараз. | I will come now. |
| 29 | Romanian | acum | ah-KOOM | Vin acum. | I am coming now. |
| 30 | Hungarian | most | mohst | Most megyek. | I am going now. |
| 31 | Greek | τώρα | TOH-rah | Έρχομαι τώρα. | I am coming now. |
| 32 | Albanian | tani | TAH-nee | Po vij tani. | I am coming now. |
| 33 | Turkish | şimdi | SHEEM-dee | Şimdi geliyorum. | I am coming now. |
| 34 | Azerbaijani | indi | in-DEE | Mən indi gəlirəm. | I am coming now. |
| 35 | Georgian | ახლა | ah-KHLA | ახლა მოვდივარ. | I am coming now. |
| 36 | Armenian | հիմա | hee-MAH | Հիմա գալիս եմ։ | I am coming now. |
| 37 | Persian | الان | ah-LAHN | الان میآیم. | I am coming now. |
| 38 | Arabic | الآن | al-AHN | سأذهب الآن. | I will go now. |
| 39 | Hebrew | עכשיו | ak-SHAV | אני בא עכשיו. | I am coming now. |
| 40 | Hindi | अब | ub | मैं अब जा रहा हूँ। | I am going now. |
| 41 | Urdu | اب | ub | میں اب جا رہا ہوں۔ | I am going now. |
| 42 | Bengali | এখন | ek-HON | আমি এখন যাচ্ছি। | I am going now. |
| 43 | Punjabi | ਹੁਣ | hoon | ਮੈਂ ਹੁਣ ਜਾ ਰਿਹਾ ਹਾਂ। | I am going now. |
| 44 | Gujarati | હવે | ha-VEH | હું હવે જાઉં છું. | I am going now. |
| 45 | Marathi | आता | AH-tah | मी आता जातो. | I am going now. |
| 46 | Nepali | अहिले | ah-HEE-leh | म अहिले जान्छु। | I am going now. |
| 47 | Sinhala | දැන් | deng | මම දැන් යනවා. | I am going now. |
| 48 | Tamil | இப்போது | ee-POH-dhoo | நான் இப்போது செல்கிறேன். | I am going now. |
| 49 | Telugu | ఇప్పుడు | ee-POO-doo | నేను ఇప్పుడు వెళ్తాను. | I am going now. |
| 50 | Kannada | ಈಗ | EE-gah | ನಾನು ಈಗ ಹೋಗುತ್ತೇನೆ. | I am going now. |
| 51 | Malayalam | ഇപ്പോൾ | ip-POHL | ഞാൻ ഇപ്പോൾ പോകുന്നു. | I am going now. |
| 52 | Odia | ବର୍ତ୍ତମାନ | bor-toh-MAAN | ମୁଁ ବର୍ତ୍ତମାନ ଯାଉଛି। | I am going now. |
| 53 | Assamese | এতিয়া | eh-TEE-yah | মই এতিয়া যাওঁ। | I am going now. |
| 54 | Thai | ตอนนี้ | ton-NEE | ฉันไปตอนนี้ | I am going now. |
| 55 | Vietnamese | bây giờ | bay ZUH | Tôi đi bây giờ. | I am going now. |
| 56 | Indonesian | sekarang | seh-KAH-rang | Saya pergi sekarang. | I am going now. |
| 57 | Malay | sekarang | seh-KAH-rang | Saya pergi sekarang. | I am going now. |
| 58 | Filipino | ngayon | ngah-YON | Pupunta ako ngayon. | I am going now. |
| 59 | Javanese | saiki | SAH-ee-kee | Aku lunga saiki. | I am going now. |
| 60 | Burmese | အခု | ah-KHOO | အခု သွားမယ်။ | I am going now. |
| 61 | Mandarin Chinese | 现在 | xiànzài | 我现在走。 | I am leaving now. |
| 62 | Cantonese | 而家 | ji4 gaa1 | 我而家走。 | I am leaving now. |
| 63 | Japanese | 今 | ima | 今行きます。 | I am going now. |
| 64 | Korean | 지금 | jigeum | 지금 갑니다. | I am going now. |
| 65 | Mongolian | одоо | oh-DOH | Би одоо явна. | I am going now. |
| 66 | Swahili | sasa | SAH-sah | Ninaenda sasa. | I am going now. |
| 67 | Zulu | manje | MAHN-yeh | Ngiyahamba manje. | I am leaving now. |
| 68 | Yoruba | báyìí | bah-YEE-ee | Mo lọ báyìí. | I am going now. |
| 69 | Igbo | ugbu a | OOG-boo ah | Ana m aga ugbu a. | I am going now. |
| 70 | Haitian Creole | kounye a | KOO-nyeh ah | Mwen ale kounye a. | I am going now. |
How to Say “Now” in Different Languages
Learning how to say “now” in different languages is useful because the word appears in everyday situations. You might use it when telling someone when you are leaving, asking when something will happen, or explaining that something needs immediate attention.
For instance, Spanish uses ahora, French uses maintenant, and Italian uses adesso. Meanwhile, German uses jetzt, Polish uses teraz, and Turkish uses şimdi.
The exact pronunciation can vary depending on regional accents. Therefore, the easy pronunciation column should be treated as a learner-friendly guide rather than a replacement for listening to native speakers.
“Now” Around the World
The concept of the present moment exists in every culture, but languages express it differently. In many European languages, the word is relatively short. English has now, Dutch has nu, Swedish has nu, and Danish also uses nu.
However, some languages use longer forms. French maintenant, for example, sounds very different from English “now.” Likewise, Russian сейчас and Ukrainian зараз have their own distinct sounds and writing systems.
Across Asia, you can see even greater variety. Japanese uses 今 (ima), Korean uses 지금 (jigeum), Mandarin Chinese uses 现在 (xiànzài), and Hindi uses अब (ab).
“Now” in European Languages
European languages provide many interesting examples of how a simple time expression can change.
Romance languages include Spanish ahora, French maintenant, Italian adesso, Portuguese agora, and Romanian acum. Germanic languages include German jetzt, Dutch nu, Swedish nu, Norwegian nå, and Danish nu.
Slavic languages also have several recognizable forms. Polish uses teraz, Croatian uses sada, Serbian uses sada, Bulgarian uses сега, and Russian uses сейчас.
“Now” in Asian Languages
Asian languages offer a wide range of writing systems and pronunciations for this everyday word.
“Now” in Middle Eastern Languages
The word “now” is also essential in Middle Eastern communication. Arabic uses الآن, Hebrew uses עכשיו, Persian uses الان, Turkish uses şimdi, and Azerbaijani uses indi.
These words can appear in casual conversation, instructions, questions, announcements, and written messages. Their exact use can depend on context, sentence structure, and regional speech patterns.
“Now” in African Languages
African languages also have their own natural ways to express the present moment.
Swahili uses sasa, Zulu uses manje, Yoruba uses báyìí, and Igbo uses ugbu a. These expressions can be used in everyday statements about immediate actions.
For language learners, learning a basic time word such as “now” can be a useful starting point because it frequently appears in practical conversations.
“Now” in Romance Languages
Romance languages developed from Latin, yet their modern words for “now” are not identical.
- Spanish: ahora
- French: maintenant
- Italian: adesso
- Portuguese: agora
- Romanian: acum
Although Spanish and Portuguese both use forms beginning with “ag-,” French, Italian, and Romanian use noticeably different forms.
“Now” in Germanic Languages
Germanic languages provide another interesting comparison.
- English: now
- German: jetzt
- Dutch: nu
- Swedish: nu
- Danish: nu
- Norwegian: nå
- Afrikaans: nou
Some forms are short and visually similar, while German jetzt is quite different from the English word.
“Now” in Slavic Languages
Slavic languages contain several related but distinct forms.
Polish uses teraz, Slovak also uses teraz, Slovenian uses zdaj, Croatian uses sada, Serbian uses sada, Bulgarian uses сега, Russian uses сейчас, and Ukrainian uses зараз.
Because these languages belong to the same broad language family, learners may notice similarities between some words while still encountering significant differences.
“Now” in South Asian Languages
South Asia is home to many languages, so there are numerous ways to express “now.”
Hindi and Urdu both use ab, written in different scripts: अब in Hindi and اب in Urdu. Punjabi uses ਹੁਣ, Bengali uses এখন, Gujarati uses હવે, Marathi uses आता, Tamil uses இப்போது, and Telugu uses ఇప్పుడు.
This variety demonstrates why learning a word in one South Asian language does not necessarily tell you how it will appear in another.
“Now” in East and Southeast Asian Languages
East and Southeast Asian languages have especially varied writing systems and pronunciations.
Mandarin Chinese uses 现在, while Japanese commonly uses 今 and Korean uses 지금. Meanwhile, Thai uses ตอนนี้, Vietnamese uses bây giờ, Indonesian uses sekarang, Malay uses sekarang, and Filipino uses ngayon.
For travelers and language students, these words can be particularly useful when discussing schedules, departures, appointments, or immediate actions.
Common Uses of the Word “Now”
The English word “now” can have several practical functions. Most commonly, it refers to the present moment.
For example:
- I am busy now.
- Come here now.
- We need to leave now.
- What are you doing now?
- I understand now.
Depending on context, “now” can also introduce a change in a situation, emphasize immediacy, or contrast the present with the past.
Why Learn “Now” in Different Languages?
Learning a basic word such as “now” can help you build a practical vocabulary foundation. It is frequently used in conversations, travel situations, text messages, language exercises, and everyday interactions.
Additionally, comparing now in different languages can help learners recognize patterns between related languages. It can also make multilingual communication more natural and enjoyable.
Tips for Remembering “Now” Translations
Start by learning the words used in languages that interest you most. Then, practice each one inside a complete sentence instead of memorizing the word by itself.
For example, rather than remembering only ahora, practice Lo necesito ahora. Instead of memorizing jetzt, practice Ich komme jetzt.
Furthermore, reading the native spelling alongside the pronunciation can help connect the written and spoken forms.
Conclusion
The word “now” may be simple in English, but its translations reveal the remarkable variety of languages around the world. From ahora in Spanish and maintenant in French to сейчас in Russian, अब in Hindi, 现在 in Mandarin, and 今 in Japanese, each language gives the idea of the present moment its own form.
If you are studying languages, traveling, writing multilingual content, or simply exploring vocabulary, these 70 translations of “now” provide a useful starting point for discovering how people communicate around the world.
FAQs:
1. How do you say “now” in Spanish?
“Now” in Spanish is ahora, commonly pronounced approximately “uh-OH-rah.”
2. What is “now” in French?
“Now” in French is maintenant, pronounced approximately “ment-NAHN.”
3. How do you say “now” in German?
“Now” in German is jetzt, pronounced approximately “yetst.”
4. What is “now” in Japanese?
“Now” in Japanese is commonly 今 (ima), pronounced approximately “ee-mah.”
5. How do you say “now” in Hindi and Urdu?
“Now” is अब (ab) in Hindi and اب (ab) in Urdu. Both are pronounced approximately “ub.”
Brandon Cody is the Administrator of LingoMean, a platform dedicated to helping people discover the right words for every situation. He oversees content quality, website management, and user experience, ensuring readers receive accurate, practical, and easy-to-understand communication guidance.
