今(いま)しがた

Etymology: 今(いま) (now) + しがた (a form of する marking the immediate past)

Time frame: The very recent past - typically the last few minutes, not hours.

Register: Slightly formal. Common in business communication, polite conversation, and news reporting; less common in very casual speech.

Similar words

• たった今(いま) - "just now" (very common, neutral)
• さっき - "a while ago" (casual, covers a longer span)
• 先(さき)ほど - "earlier" (polite, formal)
• ついさっき - "just a moment ago" (casual emphasis)

CONTRAST WITH さっき:

• 今(いま)しがた: seconds to a few minutes ago
• さっき: minutes to an hour or so ago

Common patterns

• 今(いま)しがた + past tense: reports a just-completed action
• 今(いま)しがた〜ばかり: emphasizes how recent it is