先ほど

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 先ほど is a time expression meaning a little while before the present.
• Basic usage: It is used to refer to an earlier phone call or weather that continued until a short time ago.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Tone compared with さっき
  • It suits polite or formal conversation better than さっき. In 先ほどお電話した者です, it politely refers back to an earlier action in a phone or business conversation.