adverbial N2 uncommon casualpolitewritten
今更 — now
今更 ・ いまさら
Meaning
- now (of all times) / at this late stage / after all this time — too late for it to matter, or pointless to start now
Key sentence
今更謝っても、もう遅い。
It's too late to apologize now.
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Adverb | 今更 + clause (often + ても / a negative / a rhetorical question) | 今更聞けない |
Examples
今更後悔しても始まらない。
There's no use regretting it now.
今更やめるわけにはいかない。
I can't very well quit at this point.
When you can't use it
- Carries 'it's too late / pointless,' so it pairs with ても, a negative, or a rhetorical question — not a neutral 'now' (× 今更始めます for simply 'I'll start now').
Notes
- 今更ながら 'belatedly / even at this late point' is a common set phrase (今更ながらお礼を申し上げます).
See 今更 in real sentences
Jengo shows 今更 the way you actually meet it: inside real Japanese sentences, so it sticks instead of staying an abstract rule.
Study it in JengoSources Compiled with reference to A Dictionary of Advanced Japanese Grammar.