今までに
ima made ni
The Japanese word for "ever" is 今までに (ima made ni).
今までに is used to emphasize whether an event or experience has occurred at any point in the time leading up to the present moment.
Meaning: at any time (adv)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 今 (now), まで (until) and the particle に which indicates a specific point in time.
How do you pronounce it?
ima made ni
Did you know?
- In Japanese, the concept of 'ever' is often expressed through the grammar form たことがある, which literally translates to 'having the experience of'.
- If you want to say 'ever' to mean 'forever' or 'eternally', you cannot use 今までに. Instead, you must use words like 永遠に (eien ni) or ずっと (zutto).
- Japanese speakers may use かつて (katsute) instead of 今までに when talking about 'ever' in a nostalgic or historical sense, such as 'once upon a time'.
Examples in context
- 今までに銃を撃ったことある？Have you ever shot a gun before?Tatoeba #8665729 by bunbuku, translation #4017017 by CK
- 今までに交通事故にあったことある？Have you ever had a traffic accident?Tatoeba #8858995 by bunbuku, translation #6927396 by CK
- 今までに富士山に登ったことってある？Have you ever climbed Mt. Fuji?Tatoeba #232057 by bunbuku, translation #9585 by bmorsello
- 今までにこんなことあった？Have you ever experienced something like this before?
- こんなに大声で笑うことめったにないよ！I almost never laugh this loud! / I rarely ever laugh this loud!
- 20 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing travel experiences.
- 大翔 Hiroto今までに海外に行ったことある？Imademo ni kaigai ni itta koto aru?Have you ever been abroad?
- 結衣 Yuiいいえ、まだないよ。Iie, mada nai yo.No, not yet.
- 大翔 Hirotoそうなんだ。どこか行きたいところはある？Sou nanda. Dokoka ikitai tokoro wa aru?I see. Is there anywhere you want to go?
- 結衣 Yuiフランスに行ってみたいな。Furansu ni itte mitai na.I'd like to try visiting France.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
