The kanji 今 primarily means "now," "the present," or "this." It refers to the current time or moment. It can also imply the immediate or current situation.

・On-yomi (音読み): コン(kon) ・Kun-yomi (訓読み): いま(ima)

⚫︎ 今、勉強しています。(Ima, benkyou shiteimasu.) Translation: I am studying now. ⚫︎ 今週(konshuu) Translation: This week ⚫︎ 今日は何時ですか？(Kyou wa nan-ji desu ka?) Translation: What time is it now?

The kanji 今 is a pictograph. The top part represents a roof or a ceiling, and the bottom part represents the word "order" or "command". It originally depicted a warehouse where goods were stored in order. Over time, it came to represent "now" because the warehouse held goods that were currently available or "present." The shape later evolved into what we see today.