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  • сегодня
  • ныне
  • в настоящее время
  • нынче
  • в наше время
  • в наши дни

As the ngram shows в наше время / в наши дни are rather seldom. Maybe they are somewhat profound.

Anyway, I'd like to know how сегодня, нынче, ныне и настоящее время differ. Do they?

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  • How about сейчас? I think it is used more goo.gl/Y0lnC4
    – cha
    May 29, 2014 at 23:03

2 Answers 2

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  • сегодня = "today", your everyday word for the current day or "these days in general" when used in a more broad sense
  • ныне = "now/nowadays", elevated style. Can be used i na more official style as "currently": "ныне живущий" ("extant", "currently living"), ныне работающий в Германии ("these days working in Germany")_
  • нынче = colloquial "today, nowadays(recently)" and also "this year" (in proper context, like "this year spring's turned out warm"~"нынче весна выдалась тёплая"). I am not sure it is much used nowadays: its popularity is fading but it is still somewhat frequent.
  • в настоящее время = "now, at present time" (it is literally "at present time"). Kinda official, suitable for academic and newspaper articles (those more bookish in style), like "В настоящее время этот процесс особенно заметен" ("At present time this process is particularly evident"), "В настоящее время устарел" ("Outdated nowadays").
  • настоящее время = "present time", also "Present Tense"
  • в наши дни ~ "these days", "nowadays": mostly the same as "в настоящее время" but less official — so pretty much any article or any children's book, for example, about history or science can use it ("в настоящее время", probably, suits but sounds more official, boring and kinda pompous for this kind of writing)

I would recommend "сегодня" for everyday use, "в настоящее время" for bookish use, "в наши дни" or even "сейчас" for less bookish use... Also don't use "ныне" at all for the time being, and use "нынче" if you are sure you are talking about.

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  • What about теперь?
    – KCd
    May 30, 2014 at 4:49
  • 2
    "теперь" is similar to "сейчас" but means "now" as opposed to "before", i.e. implies some change of situation. "Сейчас" is talking about the current moment without any implication that the situation is the same as earlier, different than before or whatever. Sometimes you want to use "теперь" because your statement strongly suggests you are indeed talking about a new turn of events: "И что же нам теперь теперь делать?" ("So, what are we supposed to do now?" - i.e. now that the circumstances changed and our previous course of actions doesn't make sense anymore).
    – Shady_arc
    May 30, 2014 at 8:57
  • Oh, I thought теперь could be used to mean "nowadays", for instance Теперь я живу в Лондоне if you have been living in London for a little while.
    – KCd
    May 30, 2014 at 15:10
  • Of course it can. Just as "сейчас". But "теперь" stresses the fact that previously, you lived somewhere else. "Сейчас" just tells where you are living at the moment. I feel that as you don't usually tell that you live somewhere "now", it might bear a connotation that you view this as a temporary state (otherwise why not just tell "I live in London"). But that's just a subtle shade of meaning that may or may not happen depending on further context. Interestingly, with "теперь" it certainly says things changed but sounds more neutral about the future (i.e, doesn't matter if you are staying).
    – Shady_arc
    May 30, 2014 at 16:20
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    Yeah, "Я теперь живу в Лондоне" definitely would work better. The problem is, in this context "теперь" carries along the message, while "сейчас" just tells it matter-of-fact-ey. "Теперь" makes it "Got news for ya → Now I live → in a new place, London". The story "сейчас" tells is more like "Speaking of current moment → right now I live in London". Actually, both work, it is just that subjectively "сейчас" will imply significantly less feel of "a new development". The choice is always the speaker's. Also, maybe it's just me but if I think it is "for the time being", "сейчас" feels right.
    – Shady_arc
    May 30, 2014 at 18:50
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  • в наши дни

Дословный и самый верный перевод.

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2
  • I see, but that doesn't give me the slightest idea of how this one relates to the other terms.
    – user3538
    Jun 23, 2014 at 7:18
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    он не дословный )))
    – shabunc ♦
    Jul 4, 2014 at 3:09

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