Ah, ahora estoy en Nueva York.
Oh, I'm in New York now.
Someone on the phone asks where she is. Ahora makes it clear she means this minute, not where she lives.
From El caza recompensas · Spanish audio
Spanish vocabularyA1 · Beginner
How to say "now" in Spanish
ahora
adverbsilent hthree syllables
"Now" in Spanish is ahora, said ah-OH-rah because the h is silent. It can open or close a sentence: Ahora no, ¿Dónde estás ahora? For "right now", say ahora mismo.
Hear "ahora" in real movie scenes
A phone call and a busy control room. Each video starts and stops on that line.
Ahora no, Gwen.
Not now, Gwen.
In the spaceship's control room, everyone wants something from him at once. Two short words, ahora no, and the request has to wait.
From Héroes fuera de órbita · Spanish audio
Ahora in phrases you'll hear
Five short phrases built on ahora.
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| ahora mismo | right now |
| ahora no | not now |
| por ahora | for now |
| de ahora en adelante | from now on |
| hasta ahora | so far, until now (in Spain also "see you in a minute") |
Tip: In Mexico, ahorita can mean right now or in a little while, so ask if the timing matters.
Grammar: using ahora
Four points about the word for now.
Silent h, three syllables
Skip the h and keep the a and the o apart: a-O-ra. The stress falls on the o.Front or back
Ahora estoy en casa. = Estoy en casa ahora. Both mean I'm at home now.No -ing needed
The simple present does the job: Ahora trabajo en casa, I'm working from home now.Ya for "now" in a hurry
In quick replies Spanish often uses ya: ¡Ya voy! I'm coming!Example sentences
Sentences from the Wordy Spanish course. Tap to listen.
¿Dónde estás ahora?
Where are you now?
Ahora hace un sol precioso.
The sun is gorgeous right now.
Ahora estoy en la oficina.
I'm at the office now.
Ahora no.
Not now.
Common mistakes
Mistakes learners make with this word, and how to fix them.
✗a-HO-ra (pronunciation)
✓ah-OH-rah
The Spanish h is silent, even in the middle of a word.
✗No ahora (not now)
✓Ahora no
In this short reply, ahora comes first and no comes last.
✗aora
✓ahora
You don't hear the h, but you still write it.
Real conversation: one more dance?
A short dialog after dance class.
Dance class at the community center is over and it's pouring outside. Inés, your dance partner, wants to stay a little longer.
¡Oye, llueve mucho! ¿Bailamos ahora?
Hey, it's pouring! Shall we dance now?
¿Ahora? No, tengo mucha hambre.
Now? No, I'm starving.
¡Ay, siempre la comida!
Oh, it's always food with you!
Your turn to answer
In the app you reply in Spanish for the last 2 lines.
Continue the conversation in WordyPractice: 3 quick exercises
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1 of 3 · Watch and choose
What do you hear in the video?
The other 26 exercises on this topic are in the app.
How to remember it
Ahora sounds like aurora. When the aurora lights up the sky, you look up now, not later.
Questions about "now" in Spanish
How do you say now in Spanish?
Ahora, pronounced ah-OH-rah. The h is silent.
How do you say "right now" in Spanish?
Ahora mismo: Voy ahora mismo, I'm going right now. In Mexico you'll also hear ahorita.
How do you say "not now" in Spanish?
Ahora no. Say ahora first and finish with no.
What does ahorita mean?
It's a little form of ahora, very common in Mexico. Depending on the speaker, it means right now or in a little while.
