Translation guide
This English phrase refers to a recent point in the past, typically within minutes or hours. Japanese expresses this with several time words and grammatical patterns, depending on how recent the event is and the level of formality.
To say that something happened just a moment ago, within the last few minutes.
The most common casual word for 'a short while ago' in spoken Japanese. Refers to something that happened minutes ago.
さっき、友達から電話があった。
A short while ago, I got a call from a friend.
さっきまでここにいたよ。
He was here until just a moment ago.
Emphasizes that something happened just now, even more immediate than さっき. Often used in both casual and polite speech.
たった今、帰ってきたところです。
I just got home a moment ago.
たった今、メールを送りました。
I sent the email just now.
A polite and slightly formal way to say 'just now'. Common in business settings or when speaking to superiors.
今しがた、お客様がお見えになりました。
A guest arrived just a moment ago.
To refer to something that happened earlier in the day, but not necessarily within the last few minutes.
A polite and formal word for 'a short while ago', often used in business or customer service contexts. Can refer to events within the same day.
先ほど、メールをお送りいたしました。
I sent you an email a short while ago.
先ほどはありがとうございました。
Thank you for earlier (a short while ago).
Although primarily for very recent events, さっき can also be used for earlier today in casual conversation.
Japanese often uses the past tense or specific grammatical constructions to indicate that something just happened, without a separate time word.
Attach to the past tense of a verb to mean 'just did something'. Emphasizes the immediacy of the action.
今、食べたところです。
I just ate a moment ago.
彼は出かけたところだ。
He just left a short while ago.
Also means 'just did something', but can imply a slightly longer elapsed time than 〜たところだ. It often carries a nuance of 'only just' or 'recently'.
この映画は見たばかりです。
I just saw this movie a short while ago.
さっき is casual and used in everyday conversation. 先ほど is its polite counterpart, suitable for formal situations, business, or when speaking to customers. Using さっき in a formal setting can sound too casual or even rude.
さっき、課長が来たよ。
The section chief came by a short while ago. (casual)
先ほど、課長がお越しになりました。
The section chief came by a short while ago. (polite)
〜たところ emphasizes the action just completed, often within seconds or minutes. 〜たばかり can refer to a slightly longer time frame and often carries a subjective feeling of 'recently'. For example, 日本に来たばかりです (I just came to Japan) could mean a few weeks ago, while 来たところです would mean literally just arrived.
今、着いたところです。
I just arrived this moment.
先月、日本に来たばかりです。
I just came to Japan last month.
I saw Mr. Tanaka at the station a short while ago.