It's Now or Never

When you begin to learn Russian, you may be a bit puzzled by two “nows”: теперь (now in the general sense, at present) and сейчас (now in the immediate sense, right now, at this moment). But after a while you’ll find them so handy, you’ll wonder why we don’t have the distinction in English. 

Теперь refers to a long period of time: these days, at present, currently. Of course, the world of теперь keeps changing. Как раньше говорили, проклятое царское прошлое, а теперь, проклятое советское прошлое. (The way they used to say "that damn tsarist past" they're now saying about “that damned Soviet past.”) Morals and standards change so quickly that sometimes “then” and “now” aren’t even a generation apart: Я работал в банке семь лет и всё это время носил галстук, потому, что было положено. А теперь необязательно. (I worked in a bank for seven years and always wore a tie, because it was what you did. Now it’s not required.) In a word, whatever and whenever the “time before now” was, теперь всё это в прошедшем времени (now that’s all in the past).

Теперь is also used when a speaker moves from one topic to another. In this sense, it is almost a synonym of затем (then) and easy to remember, because English uses the same construction: Рассмотрим теперь техническое задание. (Now we’ll take a look at the work specifications.) It’s also used a lot in cooking shows: Нарезанный зелёный лук и ломтики картофеля выложить в салатник. Теперь приготовим соус. (Put the sliced scallions and pieces of potato into the salad bowl. Now we’ll make the dressing.)

If теперь in all its incarnations is the laid back, calm, time-is-a-river “now,” сейчас is the hyped up, jittery, time-is-money “now.” But oddly, сейчас can be used in the past, present and future tense. In each time zone, it means that something was, is, or will be as close to “right now” as possible.

In the past, it means “just now,” “just a second ago”: – Где ты была? – Я сейчас была у соседки (“Where were you?” “I was just at my neighbor’s). In the present tense it means at this exact moment: Сколько сейчас времени? (What time is it now?) Сейчас я должна уйти. (I’ve got to go right now.)

In the present tense, it can also be used to describe some action that is ongoing. But if the present of теперь might be “this generation” or “this decade,” the present of сейчас tends to be a shorter period of time, like “this month” or “for now.” Я сейчас работаю в другой фирме. (I’m working in a different company now.) Сейчас я не могу помочь. (I can’t help you now.) In contrast, теперь я не могу помочь suggests “at present and for the foreseeable future I can’t help.”

In the future tense, сейчас means “in just a second.” Сейчас пойдёт дождь. (It’s about to rain any minute.)  Сейчас я приду. (I’ll be right there.) Сейчас я сделаю. (I’ll get right on it.)

Today Russians — especially younger Russians — turn сейчас into one syllable that is said and spelled щас. Щас is what you say when you are still getting dressed and your significant other shouts that it’s time to leave for work: Щас! (I’ll be right there!)

But with щас, tone is everything. If said in a sarcastic tone of voice, it doesn’t mean “now,” it means “never in a million years:  – Ты пойдёшь на субботник? – Да, щас (Oh yeah, wouldn’t miss it for the world).