ahora mismo no
/aoɾa mismo no/from spelling rules
In Spanish, "not right now" is expressed as ahora mismo no.
The phrase is a polite way to indicate that you are unable to do something at the current moment.
Which one should you use?
While ahora no is a shorter version meaning "not now", ahora mismo no adds emphasis to mean "not right this second".
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, it is common to use Ahora mismo no puedo instead of Ahorita no puedo to express "not right now". In Argentina, people may use the phrase En este momento no puedo, che to decline a request informally.
How do you pronounce it?
/aoɾa mismo no/
Did you know?
- The word ahora is a contraction of the Latin phrase hāc hōrā, which literally translates to 'at this hour'.
- In some dialects, the phrase 'not right now' might be used to subtly imply that something will eventually happen, rather than a hard refusal.
Examples in context
- Le agradezco su invitación, pero ahora no es posible asistir al evento.I appreciate your invitation, but it's not possible to attend the event right now.
- Lamentablemente, en este momento no puedo ayudarle con su solicitud.Unfortunately, I cannot help you with your request right now.
- Lo siento, amigo, ahorita no puedo salir a tomar algo.I'm sorry, friend, I can't go out for a drink right now.
- No puedo ayudarte ahora, estoy ocupado. En este momento no estoy disponible.I can't help you now, I'm busy. I'm not available right now.
- Sé que es importante, pero no estoy listo/a ahora mismo para tomar esa decisión.I know it's important, but I'm not ready to make that decision right now.
- Ahora mismo no puedo hablar.I cannot talk right now.
- Lo siento, ahora mismo no.I'm sorry, not right now.
- Ahora mismo no es un buen momento.Right now is not a good time.
Example conversation
Javier asks Elena for help with a task.
- Elena¿Me puedes ayudar con esto, Elena?Can you help me with this, Elena?
- JavierAhora mismo no, estoy ocupada.Not right now, I am busy.
- ElenaNo hay problema, Javier espera.No problem, Javier will wait.
- JavierGracias, te aviso en diez minutos.Thanks, I'll let you know in ten minutes.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ahora, mismo, no, CC BY-SA 4.0.
