さっき

• Reading: さっき
• Romaji: sakki
• Pronunciation: /sak.ki/

Meaning

A little while ago; just now. Refers to a short time in the recent past.

An adverb referring to a point in the very recent past, typically within the last few minutes to an hour. More casual than 先ほど (sakihodo), which is the formal equivalent. Extremely common in everyday conversation. Can also be written 先 in kanji but is almost always written in hiragana.

Examples

1. さっき田中さんから電話がありましたよ。 You got a call from Mr. Tanaka a little while ago.
2. さっき食べたばかりなのにもうお腹がすいた。 I just ate, but I'm already hungry again.
3. さっきの話、もう一度聞いてもいいですか。 Could you tell me about what you mentioned earlier one more time?

Usage Guide

Context: conversation, daily life, recounting events

Tone: casual

Origin & History

Derived from 先 (saki, before/ahead) with the emphatic geminate consonant っ. The doubling of the k sound gives it an informal, conversational tone compared to the standard 先 reading.

Cultural Context

Era: Early Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal