つい先(さき)ほど

ついさきほど

adverb

just a moment ago; only a short while ago

1. just a moment ago; only a short while ago

Refers to a point in time only minutes before the present. つい emphasizes that very little time has passed; 先(さき)ほど is a polite word for 'a little while ago.'

つい先(さき)ほど帰(かえ)ってきた。

I got back just a moment ago.

その件(けん)はつい先(さき)ほど連絡(れんらく)を受(う)けた。

I was informed of that matter just a short while ago.

つい先(さき)ほどまでここにいたのに、彼(かれ)はもう姿(すがた)が見(み)えない。

He was here just a moment ago, yet he is already nowhere to be seen.

Combines つい ('just; barely') with 先(さき)ほど ('a little while ago') to stress that the event happened only minutes before now. More polite and slightly more formal than さっき.

Position in sentence

Appears before the verb or at the start of the sentence.

Similar words

さっき: a little while ago — casual, everyday speech
先(さき)ほど: a little while ago — polite and neutral; つい adds the 'only just' nuance
たった今(いま): just now — even more immediate, 'this very moment'

Related Words

Compare: さっき (a little while ago)

Compare: たった今(いま) (just now)

general

Added 2026.5.16 12:10 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:02

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