← Njem Asụsụ: Ịkụziri Ndị Igbo Asụsụ Bekee
"Now" is the English adverb for the present moment: the time at which we are speaking. "I am ready now" means "I am ready at this moment". In Igbo it is ugbu a (also written as one word, ugbua):
- I am ready now. — Adị m njikere ugbu a. - Come here now. — Bịa ebe a ugbu a. - Not now. — Ọ bụghị ugbu a.
Igbo has two words, ugbu a; English has one short word, "now". Like ugbu a, "now" can stand at the end of the sentence (Bịa ebe a ugbu a — Come here now) or at the beginning (Ugbu a, ọ bụ oge gị — Now it is your turn).
The difference lies in the verb. Igbo shows "happening at this moment" with na- before the verb (O na-ehi ụra — She is sleeping). English shows it with am / is / are and the -ing form: "She is sleeping now". A learner must not say "She sleeps now" for something happening at this moment.
English also builds many fixed phrases on "now", and they are not translated word by word:
- right now — at this very moment - just now — a short time ago (obere oge gara aga) - up to now / until now — ruo ugbu a - from now on — site ugbu a gaa n'ihu - by now — by this time - now that — since, because now (ebe… ugbu a) - now and then — sometimes (mgbe ụfọdụ)
What does "now" mean in Igbo? It means ugbu a: at this moment, at the present time.
Key Takeaways:
- "Now" = ugbu a. It usually stands at the end or at the beginning of the sentence. - For what is happening at this moment, use am / is / are + -ing: "She is sleeping now" (O na-ehi ụra ugbu a). - "Up to now" (ruo ugbu a) takes has / have: "Up to now, nobody has called me." - "Just now" means a moment ago and takes the past tense: "I saw him just now." - "Now" and "know" are different words: "now" /naʊ/ (ugbu a), "know" /nəʊ/ (ịma).
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now — /naʊ/. One syllable. It rhymes with "how", "cow" and "wow".
The vowel /aʊ/ is a glide: it begins with an open a, as in Igbo ala, and moves towards ụ, as in Igbo ụlọ, without stopping between them. Say Igbo a and ụ quickly as one sound: a-ụ → /aʊ/. Igbo vowels are pure, one after another; English joins the two into a single vowel.
know — /nəʊ/ (British), /noʊ/ (American). The k is silent, and "know" sounds exactly like "no". Do not say "know" when you mean "now": "I know" (Ama m), "I am here now" (Anọ m ebe a ugbu a).
nowadays — /ˈnaʊ.ə.deɪz/, stress on the first syllable: NOW-a-days.
right now — /raɪt ˈnaʊ/, stress on "now".
English has no tones. "Now" is said louder and longer when it is important ("Do it NOW!") and quietly when it is not ("I'm going now").
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51.1 I m am adị ready njikere now ugbu a
51.2 Where ebee are nọ you ị now ugbu a
51.3 Not ọ bụghị now ugbu a
51.4 Come bịa here ebe a now ugbu a
51.5 We anyị are nọ on the way n'ụzọ now ugbu a
51.6 She o is sleeping na-ehi ụra now ugbu a
51.7 Now ugbu a it ọ is bụ your gị turn oge
51.8 We anyị are eating na-eri dinner nri abalị now ugbu a; call kpọọ us anyị later emechaa
51.9 I m lived ebiri in n' Onitsha Ọnịcha before na mbụ, but mana now ugbu a I m live ana… ebi in n' Enugu Enugu
51.10 He ya was tired ike gwụrụ this a morning n'ụtụtụ, but mana now ugbu a he ya feels well ahụ dị… mma
51.11 Up to ruo now ugbu a, nobody ọ dịbeghị onye has called kpọrọ me m
51.12 From site now ugbu a on gaa n'ihu, I m will come aga… abịa on time n'oge
51.13 Now that ebe… ugbu a you ị have finished rụchaala your gị work ọrụ, you ị can nwere ike rest izu ike
51.14 They ha must o doro anya na have arrived eruola by now ugbu a
51.15 Now and then mgbe ụfọdụ, my m grandmother nne nne tells na-akọrọ us anyị stories akụkọ
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51.1 I am ready now. Adị m njikere ugbu a.
51.2 Where are you now? Ebee ka ị nọ ugbu a?
51.3 Not now. Ọ bụghị ugbu a.
51.4 Come here now. Bịa ebe a ugbu a.
51.5 We are on the way now. Anyị nọ n'ụzọ ugbu a.
51.6 She is sleeping now. O na-ehi ụra ugbu a.
51.7 Now it is your turn. Ugbu a, ọ bụ oge gị.
51.8 We are eating dinner now; call us later. Anyị na-eri nri abalị ugbu a; kpọọ anyị emechaa.
51.9 I lived in Onitsha before, but now I live in Enugu. Ebiri m n'Ọnịcha na mbụ, mana ugbu a, ana m ebi n'Enugu.
51.10 He was tired this morning, but now he feels well. Ike gwụrụ ya n'ụtụtụ a, mana ugbu a ahụ dị ya mma.
51.11 Up to now, nobody has called me. Ruo ugbu a, ọ dịbeghị onye kpọrọ m.
51.12 From now on, I will come on time. Site ugbu a gaa n'ihu, aga m abịa n'oge.
51.13 Now that you have finished your work, you can rest. Ebe ị rụchaala ọrụ gị ugbu a, ị nwere ike izu ike.
51.14 They must have arrived by now. O doro anya na ha eruola ugbu a.
51.15 Now and then, my grandmother tells us stories. Mgbe ụfọdụ, nne nne m na-akọrọ anyị akụkọ.
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51.1 I am ready now.
51.2 Where are you now?
51.3 Not now.
51.4 Come here now.
51.5 We are on the way now.
51.6 She is sleeping now.
51.7 Now it is your turn.
51.8 We are eating dinner now; call us later.
51.9 I lived in Onitsha before, but now I live in Enugu.
51.10 He was tired this morning, but now he feels well.
51.11 Up to now, nobody has called me.
51.12 From now on, I will come on time.
51.13 Now that you have finished your work, you can rest.
51.14 They must have arrived by now.
51.15 Now and then, my grandmother tells us stories.
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These are the grammar rules for "now" in English:
1. The place of "now". "Now" stands most often at the end of the sentence: "I am ready now" (51.1), "Where are you now?" (51.2). At the beginning it gives weight or a contrast: "Now it is your turn" (51.7). Igbo ugbu a takes the same two places (Adị m njikere ugbu a; Ugbu a, ọ bụ oge gị). "Now" never stands between a verb and its object: not "We are eating now dinner", but "We are eating dinner now" (51.8).
2. "Now" and the tenses. For an action happening at this moment, English uses am / is / are + -ing:
- She is sleeping now (51.6) — O na-ehi ụra ugbu a - We are eating dinner now (51.8) — Anyị na-eri nri abalị ugbu a
Igbo na- before the verb corresponds to English am / is / are + -ing. With verbs of state (live, know, feel, want, have) English uses the simple present: "now I live in Enugu" (51.9), "now he feels well" (51.10).
3. "Before" and "now". To contrast the past with the present, English puts the past tense first and "but now" with the present after it: "I lived in Onitsha before, but now I live in Enugu" (51.9). Igbo does the same with na mbụ… mana ugbu a.
4. The fixed phrases.
- up to now / until now — ruo ugbu a. The verb is has / have + past participle: "Up to now, nobody has called me" (51.11). Igbo uses -beghị, "not yet": ọ dịbeghị onye kpọrọ m. - from now on — site ugbu a gaa n'ihu. The verb is usually "will": "From now on, I will come on time" (51.12). Do not drop "on": not "From now, I will come". - now that — ebe… ugbu a. It gives a reason that has just become true: "Now that you have finished your work, you can rest" (51.13). - by now — by this time. Often with "must have" for something we are sure has happened: "They must have arrived by now" (51.14). Igbo says it with o doro anya na, "it is clear that". - just now — a moment ago, with the past tense: "I saw your brother just now." (Ahụrụ m nwanne gị obere oge gara aga.) - right now — at this very moment, or "immediately": "She is busy right now." "Come here right now!" - now and then — sometimes, not often: "Now and then, my grandmother tells us stories" (51.15). Here Igbo does not use ugbu a at all, but mgbe ụfọdụ. Translate the phrase, not the words. - for now — for the present time, until later: "That is enough for now."
5. "Now" is not "nowadays". "Now" is this moment or this stage; "nowadays" means "in these days, in our time": "Nowadays, many people have phones."
Common Mistakes:
- "She sleeps now." Correct: She is sleeping now. For this moment use is + -ing. - "I live here since five years until now." Correct: I have lived here for five years. - "I will go just now." Correct: I will go right now. "Just now" looks back to a moment ago. - "From now, I will be careful." Correct: From now on, I will be careful. - "I don't now." Correct: I don't know. In writing, "know" (ịma) has a k and a w; "now" (ugbu a) has neither. - "Now and then I am eating rice." Correct: Now and then I eat rice. A habit takes the simple present.
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"Now" is one of the most frequent words of spoken English; hardly a conversation passes without it.
At the start of speech, "Now, …" often has nothing to do with time. It organises what the speaker says or calls for attention: "Now, let us begin." "Now, listen to me." A teacher or a chairman uses it to open a new point.
"Now!" alone is a sharp command. Politely, English speakers say "Could you do it now, please?"
Nigerian English. Nigerian speakers of English often put "now" at the end of a request or a complaint to press or soften it: "Come now!", "Don't be like that now." Speakers elsewhere hear this "now" as a time word, so in formal English, in examinations and abroad, leave it out. Nigerian English also says "now now" for "at once, immediately"; British and American English say "right now" or "right away".
Ugbu a in Igbo life. Ugbu a also means "of the present day". The contemporary Igbo Bible is called Baịbụlụ Nsọ nʼIgbo Ndị Ugbu a, "the Holy Bible in the Igbo of today": that is, in modern Igbo. In English the same idea is "modern" or "contemporary", not "now": "modern Igbo", "contemporary English".
Common expressions with "now":
- any minute now — very soon - Bye for now — goodbye until we speak again - It's now or never — this is the only chance - the here and now — the present moment, the present situation
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2 Corinthians 6:2. English: King James Version (1611). Igbo: Biblica® Baịbụlụ Nsọ nʼIgbo Ndị Ugbu a, 2 Ndị Kọrint 6:2.
"Behold lee now ugbu a is bụ the accepted time oge a na-anabata mmadụ nke ọma behold now ugbu a is bụ the day ụbọchị of salvation nzọpụta" - 2 Corinthians 6:2 (KJV)
"Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation." "Lee, ugbu a bụ oge a na-anabata mmadụ nke ọma, ugbu a bụ ụbọchị nzọpụta." (2 Ndị Kọrint 6:2)
Paul has just quoted the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 49:8): "I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee." Isaiah speaks of a time promised for the future. Paul answers with one word: "now". The day the prophet waited for is not coming later; it is here, at this moment. The sentence is built as a pair, and "now" stands at the head of each half: "now is the accepted time… now is the day of salvation." The repetition makes the reader feel that there is no time to wait. The Igbo follows the same shape: ugbu a bụ oge… ugbu a bụ ụbọchị…, with ugbu a at the head of each half. The Igbo says "Lee" only once, where the English repeats "behold".
- "Now is the accepted time": "now" begins the sentence for weight, as in "Now it is your turn" (51.7). Ordinary English would say "The accepted time is now" or "This is the right time". - "Is" with "now": the present tense, because Paul speaks of this moment. Igbo bụ. - "Behold" is old English for "look!" or "see!". Modern English says "Look" or "Listen". Igbo Lee. - "Accepted" is the past participle of "accept", used as an adjective: "the accepted time", the time that God accepts, the favourable time. The Igbo explains it with a clause: oge a na-anabata mmadụ nke ọma, "the time when people are welcomed well". - "The day of salvation": "of" joins two nouns; Igbo puts the nouns side by side, ụbọchị nzọpụta.
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51.16 Mama Mama looked at lere… anya the sky eluigwe now ugbu a it ọ was dark gbara ọchịchịrị
51.17 Children ụmụaka come bịanụ now ugbu a The rain mmiri is coming na-abịa
51.18 Obi Obi and na Ada Ada were playing na-agba football bọọlụ but mana now ugbu a they ha ran gbara ọsọ to gakwuru their ha mother nne
51.19 Bring in bubata all niile the clothes uwe now ugbu a Mama Mama said kwuru
51.20 Now ugbu a the wind ikuku was blowing na-efe hard nke ukwuu
51.21 Ada Ada was running na-agba ọsọ now ugbu a her ya arms aka full jupụtara of clothes n'uwe
51.22 Mama Mama is everything ihe niile inside abanyela n'ime ụlọ now ugbu a Obi Obi asked jụrụ
51.23 No mba The goat ewu is still ka nọ outside n'ezi Go gaa bring it in kpọbata ya now ugbu a
51.24 Obi Obi ran gbara ọsọ outside gaa n'ezi now ugbu a the rain mmiri began malitere to fall izo
51.25 He o brought in kpọbatara the goat ewu ahụ but ma now ugbu a it was raining mmiri na-ezo hard nke ukwuu
51.26 They ha were all niile inside nọ n'ime ụlọ now ugbu a
51.27 Mama Mama laughed chịrị ọchị Now ugbu a we anyị can nwere ike rest izu ike
51.28 Mama Mama can nwere ike we anyị eat iri nri now ugbu a Ada Ada asked jụrụ
51.29 Yes ee The soup ofe is ready adịla njikere now ugbu a
51.30 From site now ugbu a on gaa n'ihu we anyị will watch ga-ele… anya the sky eluigwe Obi Obi said kwuru
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51.16 Mama looked at the sky: now it was dark. Mama lere eluigwe anya: ugbu a, ọ gbara ọchịchịrị.
51.17 "Children, come now! The rain is coming!" "Ụmụaka, bịanụ ugbu a! Mmiri na-abịa!"
51.18 Obi and Ada were playing football, but now they ran to their mother. Obi na Ada na-agba bọọlụ, mana ugbu a, ha gbara ọsọ gakwuru nne ha.
51.19 "Bring in all the clothes now!" Mama said. "Bubata uwe niile ugbu a!" Mama kwuru.
51.20 Now the wind was blowing hard. Ugbu a, ikuku na-efe nke ukwuu.
51.21 Ada was running now, her arms full of clothes. Ada na-agba ọsọ ugbu a, aka ya jupụtara n'uwe.
51.22 "Mama, is everything inside now?" Obi asked. "Mama, ihe niile abanyela n'ime ụlọ ugbu a?" Obi jụrụ.
51.23 "No! The goat is still outside. Go and bring it in now!" "Mba! Ewu ka nọ n'ezi. Gaa kpọbata ya ugbu a!"
51.24 Obi ran outside; now the rain began to fall. Obi gbara ọsọ gaa n'ezi; ugbu a, mmiri malitere izo.
51.25 He brought the goat in, but now it was raining hard. O kpọbatara ewu ahụ, ma ugbu a, mmiri na-ezo nke ukwuu.
51.26 They were all inside now. Ha niile nọ n'ime ụlọ ugbu a.
51.27 Mama laughed: "Now we can rest." Mama chịrị ọchị: "Ugbu a, anyị nwere ike izu ike."
51.28 "Mama, can we eat now?" Ada asked. "Mama, anyị nwere ike iri nri ugbu a?" Ada jụrụ.
51.29 "Yes. The soup is ready now." "Ee. Ofe adịla njikere ugbu a."
51.30 "From now on, we will watch the sky," Obi said. "Site ugbu a gaa n'ihu, anyị ga-ele eluigwe anya," Obi kwuru.
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51.16 Mama looked at the sky: now it was dark.
51.17 "Children, come now! The rain is coming!"
51.18 Obi and Ada were playing football, but now they ran to their mother.
51.19 "Bring in all the clothes now!" Mama said.
51.20 Now the wind was blowing hard.
51.21 Ada was running now, her arms full of clothes.
51.22 "Mama, is everything inside now?" Obi asked.
51.23 "No! The goat is still outside. Go and bring it in now!"
51.24 Obi ran outside; now the rain began to fall.
51.25 He brought the goat in, but now it was raining hard.
51.26 They were all inside now.
51.27 Mama laughed: "Now we can rest."
51.28 "Mama, can we eat now?" Ada asked.
51.29 "Yes. The soup is ready now."
51.30 "From now on, we will watch the sky," Obi said.
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The story is told in the past tense (looked, ran, said), yet "now" appears again and again. In a story told in the past, "now" means "at that moment in the story": "now it was dark" (51.16), "Now the wind was blowing hard" (51.20). It carries the reader into the action. Igbo ugbu a works the same way in a story (Ugbu a, ikuku na-efe nke ukwuu).
Inside the quotation marks the time changes back to the present: "The rain is coming!" (51.17), "Is everything inside now?" (51.22), "The soup is ready now" (51.29). The speakers are talking at their own moment.
was / were + -ing with "now": "Ada was running now" (51.21), "now it was raining hard" (51.25). This form shows an action in progress at that moment of the story. Igbo na- before the verb (Ada na-agba ọsọ; mmiri na-ezo).
Commands with "now": "Children, come now!" (51.17), "Bring in all the clothes now!" (51.19), "Go and bring it in now!" (51.23). An English command has no subject and no ending: "come", "bring", "go". Igbo marks the plural command with -nụ (bịanụ, to the children); English uses "come" for one person and for many.
Questions: "Is everything inside now?" (51.22), "Can we eat now?" (51.28). English puts is / can before the subject. Igbo keeps the order of the statement and changes the voice.
"Still" against "now": "The goat is still outside" (51.23). "Still" (ka) means the situation has not changed; "now" points to a new situation.
"From now on" (51.30) with "will": a promise about the future, as in 51.12.
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- now /naʊ/, know /nəʊ/, no /nəʊ/: "know" and "no" sound the same; "now" is different. Practise: now – no, how – hoe, cow – go. - Spelling: n-o-w. "Know" begins with a silent k. "Nowadays" is one word. - In "right now" /raɪt ˈnaʊ/ the stress falls on "now"; in quick speech the t is very short. - "Now, …" at the start of speech is followed by a short pause and a comma in writing: "Now, let us begin." - "Now" takes no apostrophe and no capital except at the start of a sentence. - Igbo learners: write ugbu a or ugbua, as the dictionaries do; in English there is only one form, "now".
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