Japanese Vowels and Key Phrases: Pronounce 今 and 本当に Naturally
Master the five Japanese vowels and use them to say 今 (ima, now) and 本当に (hontō ni, really) with clear rhythm and pitch.
By TheaFirst conversations · Yapr Learn
Japanese has five basic vowel qualities: a, i, u, e, o. Vowel length matters: い (i) lasts one mora, while いい (ii) lasts two, with the same basic /i/ quality. This lesson practices timing in 今 (ima, now) and 本当に (hontō ni, really). In hontō ni, only the ō is long, and n has its own mora. Listen, repeat, and use these words in short questions about timing and whether something is true.
By the end, you can…
- pronounce the five Japanese vowels clearly and distinguish similar ones.
- say 今 (ima) and 本当に (hontō ni) with correct mora and pitch.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
今
now
ima (two morae: i-ma)
Use to mean 'now' or 'right now'. Often followed by ですか (desu ka) to ask 'Is it now?'
本当に
really
hontō ni (five morae: ho-n-to-o-ni; only tō has a long vowel)
Use 本当に to mean really. In hontō ni, the n is its own mora and the ō is long; the first o is short.
今ですか。
Is it now? / Do you mean now?
Ima desu ka.
Polite question to confirm timing. Useful when someone suggests doing something immediately.
本当ですか。
Is that true? / Really?
Hontō desu ka. (hold the ō in tō)
Polite way to ask for confirmation. Slightly more formal than just 本当に？
いいえ、今ではありません。
No, it is not now.
Iie, ima de wa arimasen. (iie has three morae: i-i-e)
Polite negative response. では is often contracted to じゃ in casual speech.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The pattern 今ですか (ima desu ka) asks if something is happening now. You can replace 今 with other time words: 明日ですか (ashita desu ka, is it tomorrow?), 今日ですか (kyō desu ka, is it today?). To answer, use はい、今です (hai, ima desu, yes, it's now) or いいえ、今ではありません (iie, ima de wa arimasen, no, it's not now). For 本当に, the pattern 本当ですか (hontō desu ka) asks 'Is that true?' and can be answered with はい、本当です (hai, hontō desu, yes, it's true) or いいえ、嘘です (iie, uso desu, no, it's a lie). Notice that 本当に is an adverb, so it can also modify adjectives: 本当に美味しい (hontō ni oishii, really delicious).
When to use it
Use 今 when you need to confirm that an action should happen immediately. For example, if a friend says 行こう (ikō, let's go), you might ask 今？ (ima?, now?) or politely 今ですか (ima desu ka?). Use 本当に when you are surprised or want to confirm a surprising fact. For instance, if someone says 明日試験があります (ashita shiken ga arimasu, I have an exam tomorrow), you can respond 本当に？ (hontō ni?, really?). In formal situations, add ですか: 本当ですか (hontō desu ka). A rising question intonation can signal surprise, but intonation varies with context. Keep vowel length and mora timing clear rather than applying one pitch pattern to every sentence.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
すみません、今ですか。
Excuse me, is it now?Sumimasen, ima desu ka.はい、今です。
Yes, it's now.Hai, ima desu.本当ですか。
Is that true? / Really?Hontō desu ka.はい、本当です。
Yes, it's true.Hai, hontō desu.A little context goes a long way
Japanese pitch accent is not stressed like English; each mora gets roughly equal time. In 本当に, the ほ is low, ん is high, と is high, う is high, に is low. However, pitch can vary by region, so focus on clear morae first. Politeness is shown by adding です/ます, not by changing vowel length. When asking staff, use 今ですか or 本当ですか with a polite tone; they are safe and natural.
One thing to watch for
Lengthening the first o in 本当に or shortening the ō in tō.
Try this instead: 本当に is ほんとうに: ho-n-to-u-ni, five morae. Romanize it hontō ni. The first o is short, n counts as one mora, and と plus う forms the long ō. Keep that long vowel without adding a long vowel to hon.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you say 'Is it now?' politely in Japanese?
Show a sample answer
今ですか。 (ima desu ka)
This uses 今 (now) + です (polite copula) + か (question particle). It is a standard polite question. In casual speech, you might just say 今？ with rising intonation, which is also correct.
2How many morae are in 本当に, and which vowel is long?
Show a sample answer
Five: ho-n-to-o-ni. The ō in tō is long.
The kana are ほ・ん・と・う・に. Hontō ni has a short first o, one mora for n, and two morae for tō.
3Respond to 今ですか with a polite negative answer.
Show a sample answer
いいえ、今ではありません。 (iie, ima de wa arimasen)
This means 'No, it is not now.' では is often contracted to じゃ in casual speech: じゃありません. Both are correct; では is more formal. You could also say いいえ、今じゃないです (iie, ima ja nai desu) in casual polite.
Master the five vowels and mora timing to say 今 (ima) and 本当に (hontō ni) clearly. Practice with a native speaker or audio to refine pitch, and remember that politeness comes from です/ます, not from vowel changes.
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