अभी
abhī/ə.bʱiː/
The English phrase "right now" is translated into Hindi as अभी (abhī).
अभी is an adverb used to indicate that something is happening at this precise moment. It can also be used to mean "just now" when referring to an action that occurred in the very recent past.
Meaning: at this precise moment (adv)
Which one should you use?
While अभी is the standard way to say "right now," you can use the reduplicated form अभी के अभी to mean "right this instant" when you want to add emphasis or express a sense of urgency. Additionally, the informal phrase अभी तो conveys the sense of "right now" while implying that more is to come.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /ə.bʱiː/ (abhī). It has 2 syllables.
Did you know?
- In many Indian cultures, saying अभी when promising to do a task can be interpreted as a 'soft' timeline rather than a strict deadline. Depending on the context, it may imply 'soon' rather than 'this exact second'.
- The word अभी is formed by adding the particle ही to अब, where ही acts as an emphasizing marker. In Hindi, this particle is used to exclude all other possibilities, effectively turning 'now' into 'only now'.
- The emphatic अभी के अभी is often used by parents or superiors when issuing a command. Using this specific form in a peer-to-peer conversation can sound unexpectedly aggressive or demanding.
Examples in context
- मुझे करने को कुछ है नहीं अभी।I don't have anything to do right now.This sentence shows how to use अभी to express having nothing to do at the moment.Tatoeba #8864279 by aboi, translation #2929482 by CK
- तुम्हारे दिमाग में कुछ है अभी?Is there anything on your mind right now?This sentence uses अभी to ask about someone's current thoughts.Tatoeba #11370673 by Sorcien, translation #10074882 by tsp_2
- आपको अभी अपनी राय बनाने की जरूरत नहीं है।You don't have to make up your mind right now.This sentence demonstrates using अभी to describe not needing to make a decision at this moment.Tatoeba #9012820 by simranbansal, translation #2047156 by CK
- मैंने अभी अपना काम पूरा कर दिया है। (Maine abhī apna kām pūrā kar diyā hai.)I have just finished my work.
- तुरंत यहां आओ। (Turant yahān āo.)Come here immediately.
- 5 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Pooja calls Aditya to see if he can talk.
- पूजा Poojaआदित्य, क्या आप अभी बात कर सकते हैं?Aditya, kya aap abhi baat kar sakte hain?Aditya, can you talk right now?
- आदित्य Adityaनहीं पूजा, मैं अभी मीटिंग में हूँ।nahin Pooja, main abhi meeting mein hoon.No Pooja, I am in a meeting right now.
- पूजा Poojaठीक है, मैं आपको बाद में कॉल करती हूँ।theek hai, main aapko baad mein call karti hoon.Okay, I will call you later.
- आदित्य Adityaहाँ, धन्यवाद।haan, dhanyavaad.Yes, thank you.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “right now” translations and entries अभी, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries अभी, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
