Monday, October 10, 2016

지금 and 이제

What is the difference between 지금 and 이제?

They means "now", but they have have slightly different nuances.

지금 is "now" as a point in time.
For example:
- 지금은 여름이다. (It's summertime.)
- 지금 왔어요? (You came now?)
- 지금은 볼 수 있습니다. (I can see it now.)

이제 is "now" as a result of passing time. It may include the past or the future, as in, these days, or from now on, going to, etc.
For example:
- 이제는 여름이다. (It's summer now.) (the spring is gone)
- 이제 왔어요? (You came late!)
- 이제부터 열심히 공부 해야겠어요. (I should start studying for real from now on.)

As you can see, 이제 has a slightly wider usage than 지금.


Reference:

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