1.
just a moment ago; only a short while ago
つい (just, only) intensifying さっき (a while ago): stresses that very little time has passed, typically minutes rather than hours. Casual, spoken register.
ついさっき帰ってきた。
I got back just a moment ago.
Common patterns
- ついさっきまで: until just a moment ago
- ついさっき〜たばかり: to have only just done something
- ついさっきのこと: something that happened just now
Similar words
- さっき: a while ago — the plain form, vaguer and possibly an hour or more back
- たった今: this very moment — even more immediate, and usable in writing
- 先ほど: a short while ago — the polite equivalent, used in business speech
Register
Conversational. In polite or written contexts, use 先ほど instead.