now

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 今 refers to the present and is read いま on its own.
• Basic usage: 今から marks a starting point from now, while 今の仕事 means one's current work.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Readings learned as whole words
  • 今日 is きょう, 今年 is ことし, and 今回 is こんかい.
  • The reading いま is not simply attached to the following character.
• Different spans of the present
  • 今 can mean this instant, but it can also cover a broader current state or period, as in 今の仕事.
  • 今日 covers today, 今年 this year, and 今回 this occasion or round.