さっき | Grammar

Structure

さっき + [sentence] さっきの + [noun] さっきから / さっきまで + [sentence]

Description

さっき means "a moment ago", "a little while ago": earlier today, usually within the last hour or so. It is a time word like きのう昨日, so it takes no particle and sits at the start of the sentence or just before the verb.

。

There was a call for you just now.

。

I saw Tanaka a little while ago.

。

I only just ate.

On its own, さっき puts the event in the past, so the verb is past too: ×さっき行きます.

さっきから and さっきまで

With から and a ～ている verb, the action started a little while ago and is still going on. With まで, it went on until a little while ago and has stopped.

。

Someone has been knocking on the door for a while now.

。

It was raining until a moment ago.

さっきの + noun

With の, さっき describes a noun: the one from a moment ago.

、きごう？

Did you see the email from earlier?

、きごう？

Is what you said earlier true?

さっき or さきほど

means the same and is the polite word. Use it at work, in announcements and in emails; さっき is for conversation.

きごう？

I told you just now, didn't I?

。

It is as I said earlier.

narrows it to "just this minute".

。

It arrived just this minute.

Examples

。

I saw Mr. Tanaka just now.

、きごう？

Did you see the email from earlier?

、きごう？

Do you remember what I said just now?

。

It was raining until just a moment ago.

。

I bought bread at the convenience store a little while ago.

、きごう？

You just got here a moment ago, and you're already leaving?

、きごう？

Is what you said earlier true?

、。

I called you just now, but you didn't answer.

、。

I ate just a little while ago, but I'm already hungry.

、。

I'm sure I put the key here just now, but it's gone.

。

Apparently there was an accident in front of the station a moment ago.

、。

That test we just took was hard, wasn't it?

References

Time IV Relative Timeimabi.org