Posted inN4 Grammar

Mastering さっき (Sakki): Talking About “Just Now” in Japanese (JLPT N4)

Posted inN4 Grammar
Japanese Grammar Template
Meaning & Usage

✨ Basic Meaning

“a while ago”, “just now”, “a moment ago”

🎯 Primary Function

To indicate that an action or event occurred in the very recent past.

📋 Grammar Structure

さっき + [Sentence/Phrase describing a past event]

🎭 Usage Contexts

🏢 Formal Situations

Less common; more formal alternatives like 先ほど (sakihodo) are preferred in highly formal contexts.

😊 Informal Situations

Very common in casual conversation among friends, family, and close colleagues.

✍️ Written Language

Often seen in informal writing like emails, messages, and casual blogs. Less frequent in formal documents or academic writing.

🗣️ Spoken Language

Extremely common and natural in everyday spoken Japanese.

💡 Common Applications

Referring to a recent action you or someone else did.
Used to specify that the action happened a very short time before the current moment.
Example: さっき昼ごはんを食べました。 (Sakki hirugohan o tabemashita. – I ate lunch just now.)
Asking about a recent event.
Used in questions about something that occurred moments before.
Example: さっき誰か来ましたか？ (Sakki dareka kimashita ka? – Did someone come just now?)
Describing a state that existed until recently.
Used to indicate a situation or location that was true until a moment ago.
Example: さっきまで家にいました。 (Sakki made ie ni imashita. – I was home until just now.)
📊
Frequency
Very high in daily conversation.
🎚️
Difficulty
Easy
Example Sentences
さっき友達から電話がありました。
I got a call from my friend just now.
さっきまで雨が降っていました。
It was raining until a moment ago.
さっき言ったことを忘れてしまいました。
I forgot what I said just now.
Notes & Nuances

📌 Important Points

Refers to a very recent past.
The duration of “a while ago” or “just now” indicated by さっき is usually perceived as very short, typically within a few minutes or up to maybe an hour, depending on the context and speaker’s perception. It is always in the past.
Example: さっき起きました。 (Sakki okimashita. – I woke up just now. – implies very recently, e.g., within minutes.)
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⚠️ Common Mistakes

❌ Using さっき for events that happened hours, days, or weeks ago.
✅ Use other time expressions like 今日 (kyou – today), 昨日 (kinou – yesterday), 先週 (senshū – last week), この前 (kono mae – the other day), or 先日 (senjitsu – the other day, more formal).
さっき is strictly for the very recent past. Using it for a less recent event will sound unnatural.
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🏛️ Cultural Context

Politeness Level: Generally informal or semi-formal.
Social Situations: Suitable for casual conversation among peers, family, or in relaxed situations. For more formal settings, 先ほど (sakihodo) is the polite equivalent.
Regional Variations: Standard Japanese word, widely understood.

🔍 Subtle Differences

さっき vs. たった今 (tatta ima)
たった今 emphasizes extreme recency, often meaning “just this moment” or “literally just now”. さっき refers to a slightly broader, but still very recent, timeframe.
When to use: Use たった今 for something that just happened in the immediate second before speaking. Use さっき for something that happened a few moments or minutes ago.
さっき vs. 少し前 (sukoshi mae)
少し前 means “a little while ago” and can cover a slightly longer period than さっき, potentially up to a few hours depending on context.
When to use: Use さっき for things that happened just minutes ago. Use 少し前 when the timeframe is slightly less immediate but still relatively recent.
さっき vs. この前 (kono mae)
この前 means “the other day” or “last time” and refers to a less specific past event, typically days or weeks ago.
When to use: Use さっき for the very recent past (minutes/short time ago). Use この前 for past events that are not immediate.

📝 Conjugation Notes

さっき is an adverb and does not conjugate. It directly precedes the verb or phrase it modifies.

🔊 Pronunciation Tips

Pronounced “sa-kki”. Pay attention to the double consonant っ (small tsu), which indicates a brief pause before the “ki” sound.

🧠 Memory Tips

Think of “SAK-ki” as a quick, short sound, like a quick moment passing by.

Practice Exercises
田中さんは（ ）ここに来ました。
明日 (ashita)
今 (ima)
さっき (sakki)
来週 (raishū)
「さっき」は、どんな時に使いますか？
未来のことを話す時 (When talking about the future)
遠い過去のことを話す時 (When talking about the distant past)
すぐ前の出来事を話す時 (When talking about a very recent event)
場所を聞く時 (When asking about a location)
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