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ahora

a-O-raaˈoɾa

now

Also: at the moment, right now
Latin America
A simple clock face with its hands pointing to the current time, with a soft glow on the second hand to emphasize this exact moment.

📝 In Action

¿Qué estás haciendo ahora?

A1

What are you doing now?

Ahora no puedo hablar, estoy en una reunión.

A1

I can't talk right now, I'm in a meeting.

Vivimos en Madrid ahora.

A2

We live in Madrid now.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • en este momento (at this moment)
  • actualmente (currently)

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • ahora mismo – right now / this very second
  • por ahora – for now

Idioms & Expressions

  • de ahora en adelante – from this point forward

in a minute

Also: soon, in a bit
AdverbA2informal
A person standing at the beginning of a path, pointing just a few steps ahead to show that the destination is very close in the near future.

📝 In Action

Termino la llamada y ahora voy.

A2

I'll finish the call and be right there (in a minute).

—¿Puedes ayudarme? —Sí, ahora te ayudo.

A2

—Can you help me? —Yes, I'll help you in a moment.

Ahora vemos qué hacemos.

B1

We'll see what we do in a bit.

Word Connections

Synonyms

nowadays

Also: these days
A split image showing an old-fashioned black-and-white television on the left and a modern, colorful flat-screen TV on the right.

📝 In Action

Antes la gente escribía cartas, pero ahora todos mandan correos electrónicos.

B1

People used to write letters, but nowadays everyone sends emails.

Ahora es mucho más fácil viajar por el mundo.

B1

These days it's much easier to travel the world.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • hoy en día (nowadays)
  • en la actualidad (currently / at present)

Antonyms

  • antes (before)
  • antiguamente (in the old days)
  • en el pasado (in the past)

however

Also: now, that said
ConjunctionB2formal
A balancing scale with a book on one side and a pile of coins on the other, representing the balance of two different ideas.

📝 In Action

Tu ensayo es excelente. Ahora, tienes que revisar la ortografía.

B2

Your essay is excellent. However, you have to check the spelling.

Podemos ir a la playa, es un día soleado. Ahora bien, no tengo coche.

B2

We can go to the beach, it's a sunny day. That said, I don't have a car.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • sin embargo (however)
  • pero (but)
  • no obstante (nevertheless)

Common Collocations

  • ahora bien – now / that said / however

🔀 Commonly Confused With

Translate to Spanish

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: ahora

Question 1 of 1

Your friend in Spain calls you and says, 'Estoy terminando un email. Ahora te llamo.' What does she most likely mean?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
ahorita(right now, in a little bit) — Adverb
🎵 Rhymes▼
auroraseñora
📚 Etymology▼

Comes from the Latin phrase 'hac hora', which literally means 'at this hour'. Over time, the two words blended together to become the single word 'ahora'.

First recorded: Around the 12th century

Cognates (Related words)

Portuguese: agoraCatalan: araGalician: agora

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the real difference between 'ahora' and 'ahorita'?

'Ahora' is the standard word for 'now' everywhere. 'Ahorita' is a more informal version very common in Latin America. The tricky part is that 'ahorita' can mean 'right this second' in a country like Mexico, but it can mean 'in a little while' in a country like the Dominican Republic. If you're unsure, 'ahora' is always the safest and clearest option.

Can 'ahora' refer to the future?

Yes, but only the very immediate future. When someone says 'Ahora voy' ('I'm coming now'), they mean they will come in the next few seconds or minutes. It doesn't work for talking about tomorrow or next week. For that, you'd use words like 'mañana' or 'luego'.