지금 vs 이제 vs 방금 vs 금방 | The many ways to say “now” in Korean
- KSJ 쌤
- 15 hours ago
- 4 min read
안녕하세요 리더님! Koreanstudyjunkie입니다~
I’ve made many a post comparing similar concepts and explaining their differences. I’ve called it my “this vs that” series.
If you find this post useful, you’ll also like:
지금 – Now, right now
"지금" refers to the current moment or present time. It emphasizes the state or action happening at the very moment of speaking.
Examples:
지금 뭐 해? → What are you doing now?
지금 비가 오고 있어요. → It’s raining right now.
지금 안 바빠요. → I’m not busy right now.
지금 갈게요. → I’ll go right now.
지금 생각해 보니까 그게 맞는 것 같아요. → Now that I think about it, that seems right.
이제 – Now, from now on, at this point
"이제" implies a transition from one state or situation to another. It often refers to a shift or change starting at the current moment.
Examples:
이제 괜찮아. → I'm okay now.
이제부터 열심히 할게요. → I will work hard from now on.
이제 자야겠어요. → I should go to sleep now.
이제 시간이 없어요. → Now there’s no time.
이제 너 차례야. → Now it’s your turn.
방금 – Just now, a moment ago
"방금" refers to an action or event that happened very recently, usually within the last few moments.
Examples:
방금 전화가 왔어요. → A call just came in.
방금 친구를 만났어요. → I just met a friend.
방금 먹었어요. → I just ate.
방금 문을 닫았어요. → I just closed the door.
방금 뉴스에서 들었어요. → I just heard it on the news.
금방 – Soon, just now
"금방" has two meanings depending on context:
When referring to the past, it means "just now."
When referring to the future, it means "soon."
Examples:
금방 올게요. → I’ll be back soon.
금방 끝낼게요. → I’ll finish it soon.
금방 먹었어요. → I just ate.
금방 다녀올게요. → I’ll be right back.
금방 깨달았어요. → I just realized it.
Summary of Differences:
지금
Meaning: Now
Focus: Current action or state
Time Frame: Present
이제
Meaning: Now, from now on
Focus: Transition or change starting now
Time Frame: Present to future
방금
Meaning: Just now
Focus: Action or event that happened very recently
Time Frame: Recent past
금방
Meaning: Just now / Soon
Focus: Action that happened recently or will happen soon
Time Frame: Recent past or near future
PRACTICE TIME
Fill in the blanks with the correct word: 지금, 이제, 방금, or 금방.
______ 뭐 해? (What are you doing now?)
______ 수업이 끝났어요. (The class just ended.)
______ 나갈게요. (I’ll leave soon.)
______부터 열심히 공부할 거예요. (I will study hard from now on.)
______ 비가 오기 시작했어요. (It just started raining.)
______ 괜찮아. 다 잘 될 거야. (It’s okay now. Everything will be fine.)
친구가 ______ 전화했어. (My friend called just now.)
______ 가려고 했는데 전화가 왔어. (I was about to leave soon, but I got a call.)
______ 배가 너무 아파요. (My stomach hurts right now.)
너무 늦었으니까 ______ 자야 해요. (Since it’s too late, I should go to bed now.)
Answer Sheet is at the end!
Dialogue Example A:
A: 지금 뭐 해?→ What are you doing now?
B: 방금 숙제를 끝냈어.→ I just finished my homework.
A: 그래? 이제 뭐 할 거야?→ Really? What will you do now?
B: 금방 친구를 만날 거야.→ I will meet a friend soon.
Dialogue Example B:
A: 지금 출발할 거야?→ Are you leaving now?
B: 아니, 방금 도착했어.→ No, I just arrived.
A: 그럼 이제 뭐 할 거야?→ Then what are you going to do now?
B: 금방 밥 먹으러 갈 거야.→ I’m going to grab something to eat soon.
ANSWER SHEET:
지금 뭐 해?
지금 = now (refers to the present moment) You’re asking what someone is doing at this very moment.
방금 수업이 끝났어요.
방금 = just now (very recent past, within seconds or minutes)
You’re saying the class ended just a moment ago.
금방 나갈게요.
금방 = soon or just now depending on context; here it means soon
You’re saying you’ll go out very soon, within a few minutes.
이제부터 열심히 공부할 거예요.
이제 = now, from this point on
You’re declaring that from now on, you will study hard (focus on the transition).
방금 비가 오기 시작했어요.
방금 = just now (very recent past)
You're saying it just started raining.
이제 괜찮아. 다 잘 될 거야.
이제 = now (after something has changed)
You’re reassuring someone that now, things are okay, implying a change from before.
친구가 방금 전화했어.
방금 = just now (a moment ago)
Your friend just called, very recently.
금방 가려고 했는데 전화가 왔어.
금방 = about to / in a moment (future sense)
You were just about to leave when a call came in.
지금 배가 너무 아파요.
지금 = right now (present condition)
Your stomach hurts right now.
너무 늦었으니까 이제 자야 해요.
이제 = now, after a point has been reached (too late)
Because it’s too late, it’s now time to go to bed.
That's the end of this lesson! Thanks for reading.
I have linked 3 related lessons below that I think you'll also like - check one of them out ;)
If you like me including the practice section, let me know so I can do it more often.
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