a quest'ora
Lemma: a quest'ora
Translation: by now; at this time; by this time; at this hour (adverbial phrase)
Etymology: This Italian adverbial phrase combines 'a' (at/to), 'questo' (this) in its shortened form 'quest'' before a vowel, and 'ora' (hour/time). The construction literally means 'at this hour' but is used more broadly to refer to the present moment or a point in time that should have already occurred.
Example Usage
A quest'ora il treno è già partito.
By this time the train has already left.
A quest'ora dovrebbe essere già arrivato.
By now he should have already arrived.
Cosa fai sveglio a quest'ora?
What are you doing awake at this hour?
A quest'ora di solito sono già a letto.
At this time I'm usually already in bed.
Mnemonics
- Think of 'quest' as 'quest' in English - your quest to be somewhere by a certain hour
- Remember 'ora' means both 'hour' and 'now' in Italian, connecting the phrase to both time and the present moment
Related Words, Phrases & Idioms
Synonyms
Cultural Context
This phrase is commonly used in everyday Italian conversation to express expectations about what should have happened by the present moment or to refer to the current time. It's particularly useful when discussing schedules, delays, or when making assumptions about current situations.
Easily Confused With
Explanation: 'A quest'ora' refers to the current time or the present moment, while 'a quell'ora' refers to a specific time in the past or future ('that hour' vs 'this hour').
Notes: Both phrases follow the same grammatical pattern but refer to different points in time.
Mnemonic: 'Quest' contains the same letters as 'questo' (this), while 'quell' relates to 'quello' (that).
Explanation: 'A quest'ora' is a specific adverbial phrase meaning 'by now' or 'at this time', while 'ora' alone simply means 'now' or 'hour'.
Confused word:
Ora capisco il problema.
Now I understand the problem.
Notes: 'A quest'ora' often carries an expectation about what should have happened by the present moment, while 'ora' simply indicates the present moment.
Mnemonic: Think of 'a quest'ora' as more specific - 'at this particular hour' - while 'ora' is just 'now' in general.