What is now?

What Does now Mean

Now it is a demonstrative adverb that can be used in different ways, always linked to a temporal issue . The term derives from agora , which is no longer used and which came from the Latin expression hac hora (translatable as "in this hour" ).

The concept is often used to refer to what is taking place in the present , either currently in a general sense or even at the very moment in which it is being spoken.
The adverb now usually refers to the present tense.
Usage examples
Suppose a sports journalist is referring to the Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo and comments: "Before he stood out in England and Spain, now he is shining in Italy . " What the speaker does is report that, some time ago , Cristiano Ronaldo played at a good level in English soccer and Spanish soccer , while currently he does so in Italian soccer .

As you can see, in this case it is now associated with the present, but not with the exact moment . That is to say: Cristiano Ronaldo may not be "shining" simultaneously to the words of the journalist since, perhaps, his team is not playing at that moment. However, regularly competes in football in Italy because it is part of a team that country.
On other occasions, it now makes mention of the very moment of the expression . If a man is in a work meeting when he receives a phone call from his wife, he can tell her: "Now I am in a meeting and I cannot speak, I will call you as soon as I finish . " In this situation, the meeting is taking place just as the subject answers the call.
Now as the proper of the current time
Another meaning of this demonstrative adverb allows us to point out that what has been said belongs to the current times or that are in force . Typically, in this framework, the term is used before a preposition .
The present moments are part of the now.
"Today's women are more independent" is an expression that indicates a perception about the contemporary female gender. The phrase mentions that women of this generation have greater independence than women who lived decades or centuries ago, since social and cultural changes took place that resulted in said autonomy. In the 19th century, a woman was forced to obey her husband, for example; in the 21st century , no.

A reference to the past and the future
Although it now usually refers to the present, the concept can also point to something that happened a short time ago or that will unfold in the near future . To understand temporal reference, it is important to pay attention to how the expression is constructed and to consider the context .
An older man may say to a friend : "Now they have explained to me how to use WhatsApp, so we can now communicate through that application . " So he tells you that, days or weeks ago, someone taught him to use the aforementioned app.
"Now I will show you the operation of this machine" , instead, is a phrase where now it is related to the immediate future . After what has been said, the speaker will begin to show how a certain artifact or device works.