Synonym Nuance VS
How to say "This" in Japanese
Both words can translate to "this", but which should you choose?
Japanese Option A
こちら
こちら (kochira)
N5 / CEFR Syllabus
VS
Japanese Option B
今ごろ
いまごろ (imagoro)
N3 / CEFR Syllabus
Nuance Contrast & Translation Difference
When translating "this" into Japanese, you must choose carefully between こちら and 今ごろ.
In Japanese, こちら (こちら (kochira)) is typically associated with "this way, this place; this person (polite)" (Syllabus Level: N5) and represents Polite equivalent of これ.
On the other hand, 今ごろ (いまごろ (imagoro)) maps to "about this time; around now; by now" (Syllabus Level: N3) and represents Refers to a time point that is 'around now' or 'around that time'. A literal translation of "this" can often sound unnatural to native Japanese speakers if mixed up!
Bilingual Context for "こちら"
こちらへどうぞ。 / こちらが私の母です。
Please come this way. / This is my mother.
Bilingual Context for "今ごろ"
今ごろ彼は家に帰っているはずだ。
He should be home by now.
Nuance Mastery Quiz
Which Japanese word perfectly fits this blank space?
Fill in the blank: " ＿＿＿ へどうぞ。 / ＿＿＿ が私の母です。" (Meaning: "Please come this way. / This is my mother.")
🎉 Correct Answer!
Remember: "こちら" fits here because it means "this way, this place; this person (polite)" in the context of: "Please come this way. / This is my mother.". "今ごろ" represents "about this time; around now; by now".