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You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.You should upgrade or use an alternative browser. ahorita

• Thread starter Thread starter illest718
• Start date Start date Feb 22, 2005

I

illest718

Member

USA - english "Ahorita" i think means "right now" to emphasize ahora, but i've heard people use it to mean 'later' is this right or what? I

Isolde

Senior Member

Peru Spanish It means "right now"....and very colloquial of course. However...if you are waiting in a queue and someone tells you: "Espera un poco...ahorita te atiendo..." it means "Wait a little and I shall be with you soon..." Naturally you can wait another 2 hours!!!! F

funnydeal

Senior Member

Mexico, D.F. Mexico / Español

illest718 said: "Ahorita" i think means "right now" to emphasize ahora, but i've heard people use it to mean 'later' is this right or what? Click to expand...

You are right, It is very contradictory, in México at least "ahorita" could means later, hours, days, etc... Example: A Mom to her son: Deja de ver la tele y haz tu tarea ! Stop watching TV and do your homework ! son to his Mom: Ahorita la hago I'm doing it right now (literal = right now) real = I will (but it could be on hours) In this case "ahorita" is said just to avoid being annoyed. N

Noel Acevedo

Senior Member

Puerto Rico, español It all depends in which country you use it. I recall maxicans saying "ahorita" and it ment immediately; whereas in Puerto Rico (from where I am) "ahorita" means some time in the near future, later. Noel M

Moritzchen

Senior Member

Los Angeles, CA Spanish, USA Well, in a case like that, Mañana could also mean never, but it doesn´t.

lforestier

Senior Member

San Antonio, TX USA Puerto Rico - Spanish/English

funnydeal said: You are right, It is very contradictory, in México at least "ahorita" could means later, hours, days, etc... Example: A Mom to her son: Deja de ver la tele y haz tu tarea ! Stop watching TV and do your homework ! son to his Mom: Ahorita la hago I'm doing it right now (literal = right now) real = I will (but it could be on hours) In this case "ahorita" is said just to avoid being annoyed. Click to expand...

It doesn't change the meaning. In the example, the son is saying he will get to it right away. Whether he does or doesn't is irrelevant. People say things they don't mean all the time but it still doesn't change what they are saying.

Gato_Gordo

Senior Member

The Western Pearl Spanish - México Lforestier is right on the money. Ahorita means right away, but it´s not unheard of people who blatantly lie about what they actually intend to do. About what Illest asks, it's also very common, at least in Mexico, to say ahorita, ahorita as an ironic way to say hold on / gimme a break / just a minute. ( ´ー｀)―♪ M

Maeron

Senior Member

Mexico City Canada, English In Mexico, the way to say "I'll be right back/I'll be back soon" is Ahorita vengo. Of course "soon" or "right" depend on the situation; anything from minutes to hours.

lforestier

Senior Member

San Antonio, TX USA Puerto Rico - Spanish/English

Maeron said: In Mexico, the way to say "I'll be right back/I'll be back soon" is Ahorita vengo. Of course "soon" or "right" depend on the situation; anything from minutes to hours. Click to expand...

In your example, ahorita is "right away". "I'll be back right away" The idea is to let the person know they should wait rather than leave and come back later. So the meaning is the same. It conveys a sense of immediacy unlike "luego vengo" which is saying, "I'll be back later" Like I mentioned before, if they take a minute or an hour to come back is not important.(linguistically) S

Sammo

Senior Member

English

"Ahorita" i think means "right now" to emphasize ahora, but i've heard people use it to mean 'later' is this right or what? Click to expand...

This is very true. Some people, like Mexicans or El Salvadorians, use "ahorita" to mean now. However, Puerto Ricans and Dominicans use the word to mean the exact opposite (later). This can cause quite some confusion when people from different places meet and use that word. Speaking of which, wordreference.com really needs to update this fact because they only have the word listed as now despite this fact.

swyves

Senior Member

UK English, Living in Peru Yes, in Peru I'm always being told that something will happen ahorita (e.g. "ahorita regreso" when someone's going away), and it really gets to me. It's clearly not happening right now, and I'd rather know when it actually is. Ya is used in the same way. C

cubaMania

Senior Member

Near San Francisco CA USA USA/English I have to agree that there is a difference. I have experienced "ahorita" in Central America to mean "right now this very minute" and in Cuba to mean "some undetermined time later." I had a miscommunication where I thought I was telling someone we were going to do something "right now" and they kept asking me "when?" ¿Cuándo? Ahorita. ¿Y a qué hora? Ahorita. ¿Pero cuándo? ¡Ahorita!!!! Oh, I see. Este minuto. F

Fiorestano

Member

Chiapas, México Spanish "Ahorita" is a Mexican figurative (originally diminutive) form of the word "Ahora" (now) Also used in other hispanophone countries. It is an undefinied measure of time. It means either "right now" or "who knows when". A common phrase: "Te llamo ahorita" means: "I will call you right now" or "I will call you later" or "I might call you"; all those!. "Ahorita" is a nerve-breaking word for Spaniards, who do not understand other word than "Ahora" (now or right now). When somebody (in México at least) tells you: "Ahorita" (also written "orita") you MUST ask for an exact or aproximate time hidden inside the meaning of the word. (CAUTION: It might mean NEVER). When I was young and my father/mother asked me anything, and I answered "Ahorita", their reply was always: "No, no ahorita... ¡AHORA!" (no, not "ahorita"... NOW!). S

Sammo

Senior Member

English That's a nice detailed defintion...but it ignores what has been posted about how other countires use it differently from Mexico. In other words..."Ahorita" does not have definite defintion of "now" since it varies in definition depending on what country or what background the people have who are using it.

rajel

Member

Spanish, Mexico. Hola a todos if you think that ahorita is a pain in the....just ask about the difference between "luego" and "luego luego".....he he he! if you don't see any replies I'll let you guys know...hasta luego oh!, by the way. this is in central Mexico (the City and Edo de Mexico) D

daverod

New Member

USA, English I searched this forum for this word because of a humorous exchange I had with a waitress in Costa Rica recently. My family is from Puerto Rico, but I was born in the states. My spanish is passable but I'm not fluent. In Puerto Rico, "horita" does indeed mean later. You wouldn't use for anything but. While in Costa Rica, I asked a waitress for "la cuenta" and she responded "Te la traigo horita" then turned around and walked off. I thought, "Wow, that's kind of rude...". When she returned right away, I assumed I'd heard her wrong. The next day, a bartender responded similarly to my request for the check. I realized we must use the word differently and asked her about it. That's when we had a pretty good laugh over it. What I find really interesting is that my whole life I just sort of accepted this at face value, never even thinking about it enough to connect "horita" with "ahora". I'd never even heard it preceded with the 'a', always just "horita". I actually feel kind of silly, realizing this so late in life. hehe. M

muerte2vida

Member

D.C. eeuu--inglés this has been a very helpful thread, but it leaves me with doubts about how to actually say "right now" in a context where something like "en este momento" wont work....por ejemplo: Quiero decir, "I will tell you later...well, ok, I will tell you now." Does "ahora" work here since "ahorita" is too confusing? Would i say: "Te cuento luego...pues, te cuento ahora" gracias por la ayuda S

Sammo

Senior Member

English Just say "ahora", which always means "now", and not "ahorita". S

Soy Yo

Senior Member

USA EEUU - inglés Puedes decir "ahora mismo" para enfatizar la idea. Significa "right now." D

daverod

New Member

USA, English

Soy Yo said: Puedes decir "ahora mismo" para enfatizar la idea. Significa "right now." Click to expand...

I followed the email link to post the same thing. 'Ahora mismo' conveys exactly the message you're trying to express...... F

Filis Cañí

Banned

The hills Triana, caló In Mexico: Ahora: In the near future. Ahorita: Soon. Ahoritita: Now. (Don´t ask how I found out.)

alacrancita75

Senior Member

Pal otro la'o English

Fiorestano said: When somebody (in México at least) tells you: "Ahorita" (also written "orita") you MUST ask for an exact or aproximate time hidden inside the meaning of the word. (CAUTION: It might mean NEVER). When I was young and my father/mother asked me anything, and I answered "Ahorita", their reply was always: "No, no ahorita... ¡AHORA!" (no, not "ahorita"... NOW!). Click to expand...

I have also heard "ahorita" used to refer not only to the immediate or forseeable future, but also to the recent past. Por ejemplo: Estabas en la cocina ahorita? Were you in the kitchen a minute ago/just now/a while ago?

watercanyon

Senior Member

New Mexico, USA USA/English Thanks to all for the very enlightening exchange! I have been trying to remember words that I partially understand from context and look them up. The fluidity of the meaning of this word is interesting - and probably very helpful. I'm getting ready to travel to Guatemala to meet my boyfriend's family - and knowing this may come in very handy. G

gomie2003

Senior Member

Kansas, USA - English I thought I saw it once as "a horita" or "ya horita", possibly meaning "very soon". I might be totally wrong porque mi espanol es malo! G

gramatica

Banned

USA English Hola a todos: Se puede decir "Ya vengo"/Ya regreso por Ahorita vengo=I'll be right back/I'll be back later? Luego luego es igual que ahorita? Gracias C

CynthiaG

New Member

french Hello! I want to know if "Ahorita" comme from Cuba or Argentina Thank you C

cacahuatita

Senior Member

norte de México español (MX) / English (US) I think it's widely used all over Latin America, I'm Mexican and I use it all the time. N

NativeDancer

New Member

English - American In Nicaragua it's used for 'in this moment', as well. When you ask someone what their medical symptoms are, you ask them if they're feeling them 'ahorita'. A

Adry_betis

Member

Málaga Spanish- España Ahorita = ahora mismo= de inmediato= right now Ahorita= give me a second= espera un momento

EddieZumac

Senior Member

Mexico City English/Spanish

gramatica said: Se puede decir "Ya vengo"/Ya regreso por Ahorita vengo=I'll be right back/I'll be back later? Luego luego es igual que ahorita? Click to expand...

No, "luego luego" no es igual que ahorita. "luego luego" means "right away". Le llamé a su celular, y vino luego luego. I called him on his cel phone, and he came right away. "Ahora" means "now", whenever that may be. Last edited: Mar 26, 2013

Orejitas

Senior Member

Miami, FL English (US) The problem with defining "ahorita" is that culture (and frustration about cultural differences) comes into it as well as language issues. I can't speak for other countries but in Mexico I find "in a little bit" or "in a minute" to be the closest translation (except when it refers to the past, then it means "just now" as alacrancita says). For instance: - Ahorita te llamo = I'll call you in a little bit/I'll call you in a minute - Ahorita vengo = I'll be right back/I'll be back in a little bit - "Ven, ayudame con esto." "Ahorita voy" = "Come help me with this." "I'll be there in a minute/I'll be there in a little bit." - "Haz tu tarea." "Ahorita mama." = "Do your homework." "In a little bit, Mom/I'll do it later, Mom." (it's used to get out of doing it now or maybe ever, once I learned that I found it super convenient haha) Maybe in people's minds when they say "ahorita" they're thinking "right now" and they just have a different cultural conception of time than I do, I don't know, personally I think they mean "after I finish what I'm doing now, whenever that is," but regardless of how they mean it, I think a cultural translation to English is something like "in a little bit". M

Mariano Rodríguez

New Member

Español - Argentina It is not used in Argentina. I heard it in Mexico a lot, and from a year of living and working there, "Ahorita" is roughly translated as "Not in this century".

Kerena

Banned

Spanish It's an expression very used here. Often translated as "right now", "this very minute". R

rodneyp

Senior Member

Atlanta, GA US, English ¿Y "ahorita más tarde"? No estoy seguro como traducir esta frase a inglés. Algo como: A little later ¿Me imagino el significado cambia depende del país? You must log in or register to reply here. Share: Bluesky LinkedIn WhatsApp Email Share Link

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