What does “ahora” mean in Spanish?

It is commonly thought that “ahora” means now, as in right now! While this is the literal translation, this is really only what it means in the Spanish classroom. Ask any native Spanish speaker, and they will tell you that if you ask for something to get done “ahora”, it’s going to get done … pretty soon. As in, maybe in the next few hours. In practical, conversational Spanish, “ahora” should actually be understood to mean “sometime soon” or “in the near future”.

How do you actually say “now” in Spanish?

If you really need something done much sooner than that, include the diminutive suffix “ito”. “Ahorito” means very soon.

How do you ask for something to be done immediately in Spanish?

If you absolutely, positively, can’t wait, than what you really mean to say is “ahora mismo”. While the literal translation to English is something like “same now”, the practical use is “right now!” You need to use this phrase if it is absolutely critical that your request is honored immediately.

This can seem confusing at first, but it is just one of those practical lessons that comes with actually spending time speaking Spanish with native speakers. It’s not something that most new Spanish language learners will pick up in academia or from a book. If you want to get more exposure to actual things that Spanish speakers say in their daily lives, Spanish podcasts or Spanish audiobooks are a great place to start. Check out this list we’ve compiled of 25 free Spanish audiobooks for beginners. You can also look into these funny Spanish phrases that don’t quite translate to English. You can improve your pronunciation by practicing these Spanish tongue twisters.

Good luck on your Spanish journey, now get out there and practice!

Ahora in Spanish

Ahora is a Spanish adverb that roughly translates to “now”, “at the present time”, “by now”, or “these days”. Most Spanish speakers do not actually use it to mean “right now”, like most people who learn in Spanish in a classroom might expect. It is believed to be derived from Old Spanish “agora”, which is in turn derived from Latin “hac hora”.

Some other Spanish phrases that use the word “Ahora” are:

• “ahora bien” or “that said”
• “hasta ahora” or “until now” (“so far”)
• “ahora que” or “now that”
• “a partir de ahora” or “henceforth”
• “de ahora en adelante or”from here on out”

Here are some songs that feature the Spanish word “Ahora”
Ahora by J Balvin
Ahora by Sal Houdini
Ahora by Becca
Ahora by Christian Nodal
Ahora by Zion & Lennox (feat. Angel Doze)
Ahora by Oscu (feat. Flexo)
Ahora es by Wisin & Yandel