# ahorita



## illest718

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


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## Isolde

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!!!!


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## funnydeal

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?




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.


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## Noel Acevedo

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


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## Moritzchen

Well, in a case like that, Mañana could also mean never, but it doesn´t.


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## lforestier

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.


 
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.


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## Gato_Gordo

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｀)―♪


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## Maeron

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.


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## lforestier

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.


 
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)


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## Sammo

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


 
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.


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## swyves

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.


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## cubaMania

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.


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## Fiorestano

"*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!).


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## Sammo

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.


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## rajel

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)


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## daverod

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.


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## muerte2vida

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


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## Sammo

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


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## Soy Yo

Puedes decir "ahora mismo" para enfatizar la idea.  Significa "right now."


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## daverod

Soy Yo said:


> Puedes decir "ahora mismo" para enfatizar la idea.  Significa "right now."



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


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## Filis Cañí

In Mexico:

Ahora: In the near future.
Ahorita: Soon.
Ahoritita: Now.

(Don´t ask how I found out.)


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## alacrancita75

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!).


 
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?


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## watercanyon

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.


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## gomie2003

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!


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## gramatica

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


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## CynthiaG

Hello!

I want to know if "Ahorita" comme from Cuba or Argentina

Thank you


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## cacahuatita

I think it's widely used all over Latin America, I'm Mexican and I use it all the time.


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## NativeDancer

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'.


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## Adry_betis

Ahorita = ahora mismo= de inmediato= right now
Ahorita= give me a second= espera un momento


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## EddieZumac

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?


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.


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## Orejitas

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".


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## Mariano Rodríguez

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".


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## Kerena

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


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## rodneyp

¿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?


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