今

See also: 令

今 U+4ECA, 今 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-4ECA ← 仉 [U+4EC9] CJK Unified Ideographs 介 → [U+4ECB]

Translingual

Stroke order

Mainland China

Stroke order

All regions except mainland China

Alternative forms

• In all regions except mainland China, the stroke between 𠆢 and ㇇ for 今 (and its derived characters) is written with a horizontal 一 line.
• In mainland China (based on Xin Zixing standardized form), the stroke between 𠆢 and ㇇ for 今 (and its derived characters) is written with a slanting 丶 dot instead.
• In the historical Kangxi dictionary, the component below 𠆢 is written 一 followed by 𠃍 instead.

Han character

今 (radical 9, 人+2, 4 strokes, cangjie input 人戈弓 (OIN) or 人一弓 (OMN), four-corner 8020₇, composition ⿱亽㇇(G) or ⿱亼㇇(HTJKV))

Derived characters

• 仱, 吟, 坅, 妗, 岒, 忴, 扲, 汵, 昑, 肣, 枔, 㲐, 玪, 矜, 砛, 紟(𫄛), 耹, 䑤, 蚙, 衿, 訡, 赺, 趻, 軡, 鈐(钤), 䩂, 靲, 䪩, 䰼, 鹶, 黅, 黔, 霒, 䶃, 䶖, 㪁, 欦, 雂, 鳹, 㕂, 岑, 庈, 芩, 笒, 棽, 琴, 含, 念, 侌, 衾, 貪(贪), 酓, 霠

References

Wikidata

• KangXi: page 91, character 18
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 358
• Dae Jaweon: page 194, character 3
• Hanyu Da Zidian: volume 1, page 105, character 5
• Unihan data for U+4ECA

---

Chinese

trad.		今
simp. #		今
variant forms		𫢉 ⿱𠆢𬼽 ⿱𠆢下

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 今
Shang	Western Zhou	Spring and Autumn	Warring States			Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)	Liushutong (compiled in Ming)
Oracle bone script	Bronze inscriptions	Bronze inscriptions	Bronze inscriptions	Chu Slip and silk script	Qin slip script	Small seal script	Transcribed ancient scripts
Oracle bone script j12838 j12839 j12840 j12841 j12842 j12843 j12844 j12845 j12846 j12847 j12848 j12849 j12850 j12851 j12852 j12853 j12854 j12856 j12857 j12858 j12859 j12860 j12861 j12862 j12863 j12864 j12865 j12866 j12867 j12868 j12869 j12870 j12871 j12872 j12873 j12874 j12875 j12876 j12877 j12878 j12879 j12880 j12881 j12882 j12883 j12884 j12885 j12886 j12887 j12888 j12889 j12890 j12891 j12892 j12893 j12894 j12895 j12896 j12897 j12898 j12899 j12900 j12901 j12902 j12903 j12904 j12905 j12906 j12907 j12908 j12909 j12910 j12911 j12912 j12914 j12915 j12916 j12917 j12918 j12919 j12920 j12921 j12922 j12923 j12924 j12925 j12926 j12927 j12928 j12929 j12930 j12931 j12932 j12933 j12934 j12935 j12936 j12937 j12938 j12939 j12940 j12941 j12942 j12943 j12944 j12945 j12946 j12947 j12948 j12949 j12950 j12951 j12952 j12953 j12954 j12955 j12956 j12957 j12958 j12959 j12960 j12961 j12962 j12963 j12964 j12965 j12966 j12967 j12968 j12969 j12970 j12971 j12972 j12973 j12974 j12975 j12976 j12977 j12978 j12979 j12980 j12981 j12982 j12983 j12984 j12985 j12986 j12987 j12988 j12989 j12990 j12991 j12992 j12993 j12994 j12995 j12996 j12997 j12998 j12999 j13000 j13001 j13002 j13003 j13004 j13005 j13006 j13007 j13008 j13009 j13010 j13011 j13012 j13013 j13014 j13015 j13016 j13017 j13018 j13019 j13020 j13021 j13022 j13023 j13024 Bronze inscriptions b08008 b08009 b08010 b08011 b08012 b08013 b08014 b08015 b08016 b08017 b08018 b08019 b08020 b08021 b08022 b08023 b08024 b08025 b08026 b08027 b08028 b08029 Small seal script s03768 Transcribed ancient scripts L12486 L12487 L12488 L12489 L12490 L12491 L12492 L12493 L12494 L12495 L12496 L12497
References: Mostly from Richard Sears' Chinese Etymology site (authorisation), which in turn draws data from various collections of ancient forms of Chinese characters, including: Shuowen Jiezi (small seal), Jinwen Bian (bronze inscriptions), Liushutong (Liushutong characters) and Yinxu Jiaguwen Bian (oracle bone script).

Characters in the same phonetic series (今) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
	Old Chinese
貪	*kʰl'uːm
嗿	*l̥ʰuːmʔ
僋	*l̥ʰuːms, *luːms
酓	*qʰɯːm, *qlamʔ, *qlɯːms
馠	*qʰɯːm
谽	*qʰɯːm
唅	*qʰɯːm, *ɡɯːms
含	*ɡɯːm
肣	*ɡɯːm, *ɡɯːmʔ
頷	*ɡɯːm, *ɡɯːmʔ
筨	*ɡɯːm
梒	*ɡɯːm
鋡	*ɡɯːm
莟	*ɡɯːmʔ, *ɡɯːms
琀	*ɡɯːms
浛	*ɡɯːms
盦	*qɯːm, *qaːb
韽	*qɯːm, *qrɯːms
玪	*krɯːm
妗	*qʰrɯːm, *kʰjam, *qʰlɯːm, *ɡrɯms
欦	*qʰrɯːmʔ, *qʰram, *kʰlam, *kʰlamʔ, *qʰlɯːm
黔	*ɡram, *ɡrɯm
鈐	*ɡram
鳹	*ɡram
雂	*ɡram, *ɡrɯm
念	*nɯːms
梣	*sɡɯm, *sɡrɯm
枔	*sɢrɯm
岑	*sɡrɯm
笒	*sɡrɯm, *ɡrɯms
涔	*sɡrɯm
侺	*ɡjɯms
今	*krɯm
黅	*krɯm
衿	*krɯm
衾	*kʰrɯm
坅	*kʰrɯmʔ
搇	*kʰrɯms
琴	*ɡrɯm
禽	*ɡrɯm
芩	*ɡrɯm
庈	*ɡrɯm
耹	*ɡrɯm
靲	*ɡrɯm
擒	*ɡrɯm
檎	*ɡrɯm
紟	*ɡrɯms
吟	*ŋɡrɯm, *ŋɡrɯms
訡	*ŋɡrɯm
廞	*qʰrɯm, *qʰrɯmʔ
陰	*qrɯm
霠
飲	*qrɯmʔ, *qrɯms
蔭	*qrɯms
廕	*qrɯms
矜	*ɡrɯn, *ɡɯn, *kɯŋ

Ideogram (指事) – in the mouth. The derivative 含 (OC *ɡɯːm) refers to the original word.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): jīn (jin¹)

  (Zhuyin): ㄐㄧㄣ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): gam¹
• Hakka (Sixian, PFS): kîm
• Min Bei (KCR): gíng
• Min Dong (BUC): gĭng
• Min Nan

  (Hokkien, POJ): kin / kim / taⁿ

  (Teochew, Peng'im): gim¹

• Wu (Wiktionary): jin (T1)

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Pinyin: jīn
    • Zhuyin: ㄐㄧㄣ
    • Wade–Giles: chin¹
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: jin
    • IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕin⁵⁵/
      
  • (Standard Chinese, erhua-ed) (今兒／今儿)⁺
    • Pinyin: jīnr
    • Zhuyin: ㄐㄧㄣㄦ
    • Wade–Giles: chinrh¹
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: jiel
    • IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕjəɻ⁵⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)⁺
    • Jyutping: gam¹
    • Yale: gām
    • Cantonese Pinyin: gam¹
    • Guangdong Romanization: gem¹
    • IPA ^(key): /kɐm⁵⁵/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Meinong)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: kîm
    • Hakka Romanization System: gim´
    • Hagfa Pinyim: gim¹
    • IPA: /kim²⁴/
• Min Bei
  • (Jian'ou)
    • Kienning Colloquial Romanized: gíng
    • IPA ^(key): /kiŋ⁵⁴/
• Min Dong
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: gĭng
    • IPA ^(key): /kiŋ⁵⁵/
• Min Nan
  • (Hokkien)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: kin / kim / taⁿ
    • Tâi-lô: kin / kim / tann
    • Phofsit Daibuun: kyn, kym, dvaf
    • IPA (Xiamen): /kin⁴⁴/, /kim⁴⁴/, /tã⁴⁴/
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /kin³³/, /kim³³/, /tã³³/
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /kin⁴⁴/, /kim⁴⁴/, /tã⁴⁴/
    • IPA (Taipei): /kin⁴⁴/, /kim⁴⁴/, /tã⁴⁴/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /kin⁴⁴/, /kim⁴⁴/, /tã⁴⁴/

Note:

• kin - colloquial;
• kim - literary;
• taⁿ - semantic (also written as 旦 (dàn) or 當／当 (dāng)).

• (Teochew)
  • Peng'im: gim¹
  • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: kim
  • IPA ^(key): /kim³³/

Wu

• (Shanghainese)
  • Wiktionary: jin (T1)
  • IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕɪɲ⁵³/

---

• Middle Chinese: /kˠiɪm/▼

Rime
Character	今
Reading #	1/1
Initial (聲)	見 (28)
Final (韻)	侵 (140)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	Chongniu III
Fanqie	居吟切
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/kˠiɪm/
Pan Wuyun	/kᵚim/
Shao Rongfen	/kiem/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/kjim/
Li Rong	/kjəm/
Wang Li	/kĭĕm/
Bernard Karlgren	/ki̯əm/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	jīn

• Old Chinese▼

  (Baxter–Sagart): /*[k]r[ə]m/

  (Zhengzhang): /*krɯm/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	今
Reading #	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	jīn
Middle Chinese	‹ kim ›
Old Chinese	/*[k]r[ə]m/
English	now
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	今
Reading #	1/1
No.	6599
Phonetic component	今
Rime group	侵
Rime subdivision	1
Corresponding MC rime	金
Old Chinese	/*krɯm/
Notes	文源謂含初文

Definitions

今

1. now; at present; current

   Synonyms: 現在／现在 (xiànzài)

   今天  ―  jīntiān  ―  the current day; today

   從今以後 / 从今以后  ―  cóngjīnyǐhòu  ―  from now onwards.

2. (literary, idiomatic) modern times

   Synonyms: 現代／现代 (xiàndài)

   Antonyms: 古 (gǔ)

   古往今來 / 古往今来  ―  gǔwǎngjīnlái  ―  from ancient to modern times.

   • 王之好樂甚，則國其庶幾乎。今之樂，猶古之樂也。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     王之好乐甚，则国其庶几乎。今之乐，犹古之乐也。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: Mengzi (Mencius), circa 4^th century BCE

     Wáng zhī hào yuè shèn, zé guó qí shù jǐ hū. Jīn zhī yuè, yóu gǔ zhī yuè yě. [Pinyin]

     (please add an English translation of this example)

3. this

   Synonyms: 此 (cǐ), 這／这 (zhè)

   今次  ―  jīncì  ―  this time

   今日事，今日畢 ― jīnrì shì, jīnrì bì ― (literally) Matters of this day ought to be completed by this day.

4. (Classical Chinese) thus; promptly

   Synonyms: 即 (jí), 立刻 (lìkè)

   • 子為我反，無見王矣。十日之內，數萬之眾，今涉魏境。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     子为我反，无见王矣。十日之内，数万之众，今涉魏境。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: Zhanguo Ce, circa 5^th – 3^rd centuries BCE

     Zǐ wèi wǒ fǎn, wú jiàn wáng yǐ. Shírì zhī nèi, shù wàn zhī zhòng, jīn shè wèi jìng. [Pinyin]

     (please add an English translation of this example)

5. (Classical Chinese) if

   Synonyms: 若 (ruò), 假如 (jiǎrú)

   • 此無他，與民同樂也。今王與百姓同樂，則王矣。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     此无他，与民同乐也。今王与百姓同乐，则王矣。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: Mengzi (Mencius), circa 4^th century BCE

     Cǐ wú tā, yǔ mín tóng yuè yě. Jīn wáng yǔ bǎixìng tóng yuè, zé wáng yǐ. [Pinyin]

     (please add an English translation of this example)

6. A surname​.

Compounds

Derived terms from 今

• 不今不古
• 乃今
• 事到如今 (shìdàorújīn)
• 于今
• 亙古亙今／亘古亘今
• 今上 (jīnshàng)
• 今不如昔
• 今世 (jīnshì)
• 今世說／今世说
• 今人 (jīnrén)
• 今來／今来
• 今來古往／今来古往
• 今兒／今儿 (jīnr)
• 今兒個／今儿个 (jīnrgè)
• 今古奇觀／今古奇观
• 今古學派／今古学派
• 今夕 (jīnxī)
• 今夕何夕
• 今夜 (jīnyè)
• 今天 (jīntiān)
• 今宵 (jīnxiāo)
• 今年 (jīnnián)
• 今後／今后 (jīnhòu)
• 今愁古恨
• 今文 (jīnwén)
• 今文家
• 今文尚書／今文尚书
• 今文經／今文经
• 今日 (jīnrì)
• 今日事，今日畢／今日事，今日毕 (jīnrì shì, jīnrì bì)
• 今旦
• 今昔 (jīnxī)
• 今昔之感
• 今是昨非
• 今晚 (jīnwǎn)
• 今朝 (jīnzhāo)
• 今生 (jīnshēng)
• 今生今世 (jīnshēngjīnshì)
• 今番 (jīnfān)
• 今茲／今兹
• 今草
• 今譯／今译 (jīnyì)
• 今隸／今隶
• 今雨
• 今非昔比 (jīnfēixībǐ)
• 今音

• 今韻／今韵
• 今體詩／今体诗
• 以古方今
• 以古非今
• 來今／来今
• 借古諷今／借古讽今
• 傍今
• 傳譽古今／传誉古今
• 其今
• 冠絕古今／冠绝古今
• 博古知今
• 博古通今
• 博覽古今／博览古今
• 即今
• 厚今薄古
• 厚古薄今
• 及今
• 古今 (gǔjīn)
• 古今中外 (gǔjīnzhōngwài)
• 古今兒／古今儿
• 古今小說／古今小说
• 古今少有
• 古今注
• 古今絕色／古今绝色
• 古往今來／古往今来 (gǔwǎngjīnlái)
• 古為今用／古为今用
• 只今 (zhǐjīn)
• 如今 (rújīn)
• 如今晚兒／如今晚儿
• 尊古卑今
• 居今稽古
• 往古來今／往古来今
• 從今以後／从今以后
• 從古至今／从古至今
• 感今懷昔／感今怀昔
• 指古摘今
• 援古證今／援古证今
• 撫今追昔／抚今追昔 (fǔjīnzhuīxī)
• 攀今吊古
• 攀今攬古／攀今揽古
• 攀今比昔
• 攀今覽古／攀今览古
• 方今 (fāngjīn)
• 於今／于今
• 昨非今是
• 是古非今

• 時今／时今
• 暨今 (jìjīn)
• 格古通今
• 泥古非今
• 洞鑒古今／洞鉴古今
• 演古勸今／演古劝今
• 為今之計／为今之计
• 現今／现今 (xiànjīn)
• 當今／当今 (dāngjīn)
• 當今無輩／当今无辈
• 目今 (mùjīn)
• 知今博古
• 知古今兒／知古今儿
• 知往鑒今／知往鉴今
• 空古絕今／空古绝今
• 競今疏古／竞今疏古
• 而今 (érjīn)
• 而今而後／而今而后
• 自今
• 至今 (zhìjīn)
• 茹古涵今
• 說今道古／说今道古
• 說古談今／说古谈今
• 談今論古／谈今论古
• 談古說今／谈古说今
• 談古論今／谈古论今
• 論今說古／论今说古
• 講古論今／讲古论今
• 貫穿今古／贯穿今古
• 貴古賤今／贵古贱今
• 貽範古今／贻范古今
• 超今冠古
• 超今絕古／超今绝古
• 超今越古
• 越古超今
• 迄今 (qìjīn)
• 透古通今
• 通今博古
• 通古博今
• 酌古御今
• 鑑古推今／鉴古推今
• 隆古賤今／隆古贱今
• 震古鑠今／震古铄今
• 非昔是今
• 頌古非今／颂古非今

---

Japanese

Alternative forms

• 𫝆

Kanji

今

(grade 2 “Kyōiku” kanji)

1. now; at present

Readings

• Go-on: こん (kon, Jōyō)^{←こん (kon, historical)←こむ (komu, ancient)}
• Kan-on: きん (kin, Jōyō)^{←きん (kin, historical)←きむ (kimu, ancient)}
• Kun: いま (ima, 今, Jōyō)
• Nanori: な (na)

Compounds

• 今 (きょ)日 (う) (kyō): today
• 今 (こん)度 (ど) (kondo): this time; recent; previous; another
• 今 (こん)後 (ご) (kongo): from now on
• 今 (こん)晩 (ばん) (konban): tonight; this evening
• 今 (こん)週 (しゅう) (konshū): this week
• 今回 (こんかい) (konkai): this time; lately
• 今宵 (こよい) (koyoi): tonight; this evening
• 今年 (ことし) (kotoshi): this year
• 今月 (こんげつ) (kongetsu): this month
• 今朝 (け​さ) (ke​sa): this morning
• 今々, 今今
• 今上
• 今世界
• 今世紀
• 今人
• 今冬
• 今出来
• 今古
• 今国会
• 今夏
• 今夕
• 今夜
• 今尚
• 今川焼
• 今方
• 今明日
• 今昔
• 今春
• 今是昨非
• 今暁
• 今更
• 今期
• 今様
• 今次
• 今生
• 今秋
• 今程
• 今般
• 今迄
• 今道心
• 今際
• 今風

 

Kanji in this term
今
いま Grade: 2
kun’yomi

Pronunciation

• Kun’yomi
  • (Tokyo) い​ま [íꜜmà] (Atamadaka – [1])
  • IPA^(key): [ima̠]

Adverb

今 (hiragana いま, rōmaji ima)

1. now
2. just now
3. soon

Related terms

• すぐ (sugu)
• すぐに (sugu ni)

Noun

今 (hiragana いま, rōmaji ima)

1. now; present

   今 (いま)を生 (い)きる

   ima o ikiru

   live in the now

   今 (いま)はもうない。

   Ima wa mō nai.

   It does not exist any more. (lit. "now it is no longer existing.")

2. just now

   Synonym: さっき

   今 (いま)の声 (こえ)

   ima no koe

   that voice just now

   なんだったんだろう、今 (いま)の。

   Nan datta n darō, ima no.

   What was that just now…?

Synonyms

• 現在 (げんざい) (genzai)

Derived terms

Terms derived from 今 (いま) (ima):

• 中今 (なかいま) (nakaima, “the present; as a privileged moment in eternity”)
• 今 (いま)どき (imadoki): these days
• 今 (いま)まで (imamade): until now; so far
• 今 (いま)や (imaya): nowadays
• 今一 (いまひと)つ (imahitotsu): one more; another; slightly lacking
• 今一度 (いまいちど) (imaichido): once more
• 今時 (いまどき) (imadoki): Alternative form of 今 (いま)どき (imadoki)
• 今頃 (いまごろ) (imagoro): around this time
• 今が今まで
• 今ごろ
• 今し方
• 今では
• 今の所
• 今めかしい
• 今めかす
• 今もって
• 今や遅しと
• 今少し
• 今思うと
• 今直ぐ

 

Proper noun

今 (hiragana こん, rōmaji Kon)

1. A surname​.

---

Korean

Hanja

今 (eumhun 이제 금 (ije geum))

1. now; at present

Compounds

• 今方/금방 (geumbang)
• 方今/방금 (banggeum)

---

Vietnamese

Han character

今: Hán Việt readings: kim, câm (居(cư)吟(ngâm)切(thiết))
今: Nôm readings: kim, câm, căm, cầm, ngấm

1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.