今まで
ima-made[ima̠ma̠de̞]
In Japanese, 'so far' can be expressed using 今まで (ima-made), これまで or これまでのところ.
Meaning: until now, previously, yet (adv)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 今まで | ima-made | [ima̠ma̠de̞] (narrow) |
| これまで | kore-made | [ko̞ɾe̞ ma̠de̞] (narrow) |
| これまでのところ | kore-made-no tokoro |
These terms are used to mean 'until now', 'previously' or 'yet' in an adverbial sense.
What does it mean word for word?
今まで is composed of ima (now) and made (until/to), literally meaning 'until now'. これまで is composed of kore (this) and made (until/to), meaning 'until this (point)'.
Which one should you use?
これまでのところ is used to emphasize a status report or a specific point in a process, often translated as 'as of now' or 'so far' in business or technical contexts.
How does it change in a sentence?
When using これまで or 今まで to describe a completed action that continues to be relevant, Japanese often uses the past tense or the te-iru form to indicate the state resulting from those actions.
How do you pronounce it?
ima-made
Did you know?
- The word まで can also be used to express an extreme limit, meaning 'even' or 'to the extent that', which is a completely different usage than 'until'.
- The character 今 in 今まで can be read as 'ima' (now) or 'kon' (current), changing the word's nuance and formality depending on the surrounding characters.
- While 今まで and これまで are similar, 今まで is more common in emotional or personal contexts, such as thanking someone for their support 'until now'.
Examples in context
- これまでは順調だよ。So far, so good.This sentence shows how to use これまで to say things are going well.Tatoeba #218039 by bunbuku, translation #55348 by CM
- 彼は今までのところ２軒の家を建てた。He has built two houses so far.This sentence uses 今まで to describe the number of houses built up to the present.Tatoeba #107171 by arnab, translation #296515 by CN
- 禎子はこれまで６４４羽の鶴を折った。Sadako has folded 644 paper cranes so far.This sentence uses これまで to count the number of cranes folded up to a certain point.Tatoeba #125400 by tommy__san, translation #11361395 by pip
- 試験は難しいですが、今のところ順調です。The exam is difficult, but so far, it's going well.
- 探し物、これまで見つかりましたか？Have you found what you were looking for so far?
- 新しいプロジェクトは、今までのところ順調そうです。The new project seems to be going well so far.
- 22 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing a book they are both reading.
- 大翔 Hirotoこの本、今まで読んだ中で一番面白いよ。Kono hon, ima made yonda naka de ichiban omoshiroi yo.This book is the most interesting one I've read so far.
- 美咲 Misaki本当に！私もすごく気に入っているよ。Hontō ni! Watashi mo sugoku kiniitte iru yo.Really! I'm loving it too.
- 大翔 Hiroto大翔はもう最後まで読んだの？Hiroto wa mō saigo made yonda no?Have you finished reading it yet, Hiroto?
- 美咲 Misakiううん、今はまだ半分までだよ。Uun, ima wa mada hanbun made da yo.No, I'm only halfway through right now.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “so far” translations and entries 今まで, これまで, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
