Thread: теперь/сейчас

I'm not a native speaker either, and what's more, I've had the same question for a long time.

All I can say is that I've heard Дмитрий Хворостовский treat those two words like they are identical. In one concert he says теперь, in another performance сейчас.

All I can add is that I have frequently been corrected when I used сейчас instead of теперь, but I do not recall having been corrected the other way round.

'Который сейчас час?', не 'который теперь час?'

Maybe a time traveler would say 'который теперь час?' I don't know.

Originally Posted by Seraph

'Который сейчас час?', не 'который теперь час?'

Maybe a time traveler would say 'который теперь час?' I don't know.

Not necessarily would, but yes, he could, if an hour of the day always changes when he jumps through time, and he expects it to be different again. He would have to have a companion to make this question sound naturally, though. A passerby from another era would give him a strange look.
That's the primary distinction of "теперь" - implying that something changes.
Unfortunately, "сейчас" is often used in the same sense and things are muddled up.


One meaning of "сейчас" for which "теперь" can never be used:

4) (очень скоро) (very) soon
он сейчас придёт — he'll come here presently / soon
я сейчас вернусь — I'll be right back
(я) сейчас! (иду) — (I'm) coming!

(Lingvo)