How do I say 'now'?

现在 is the correct translation of “now,” but native speakers often reach for more immediate alternatives in conversation. The word 就 is the secret ingredient: it compresses time, turning “I’ll do it now” into “I’m doing it this instant.” 我这就去 carries urgency; 我现在去 is a statement of fact.

马上 (literally “on the horse”) is the everyday “right away” — use it when someone is waiting and you want to communicate that you are not delaying. It is more reassuring than 现在 and more natural in response to being called or summoned.

The pattern 现在都… expresses that something has already reached a certain point: 现在都几点了？(“What time is it already?!”), 现在都这样了 (“it’s already gotten to this point”). This usage carries emotional weight — exasperation, urgency, or disbelief — that plain 现在 does not.