Dictionary — Entry No. 0653
이제
ije · adverb
이제
ije
[ee-jeh]
adverbbeginner
Meaning
Meaning ‘now,’ ‘from now on,’ or ‘at this point,’ ije implies a turning point or shift from a previous state. Unlike 지금 (jigeum, right now in an immediate sense), ije carries a sense of finality — something has changed and there is no going back.
K-Pop & K-Drama Context
Ije (이제) frequently signals emotional pivots in K-Drama dialogue — the moment a character decides to move on, confess, or let go. TWICE’s emotional tracks and BTS’s introspective lyrics both use ije to mark transformation and resolution. For fans, hearing it in a lyric is a signal that something significant is about to be declared or released.
Example Sentences
이제 괜찮아.
ije gwaenchana.
I’m okay now. (showing genuine recovery or hard-won acceptance, not just reassurance)
이제 그만해.
ije geumanhae.
Stop it now / That’s enough. (firm — said when patience has finally run out)
이제 나 없이도 잘 살 수 있어.
ije na eopsi-do jal sal su isseo.
Now you can live well without me too. (bittersweet farewell — a classic K-Drama exit line)
⚠️ Don’t use ije when…
Don’t swap 이제 (ije, a shift or conclusion) with 지금 (jigeum, the immediate present moment) — they feel different even though both translate as ‘now.’ Also, 이제야 (ijeya) sharpens the meaning to ‘only now’ or ‘finally’ — a subtle but important nuance.
🎵 Heard In
- K-Drama: Twenty-Five Twenty-One — the line 이제 우리 어른이 됐어 (‘We’ve become adults now’) distilled the drama’s bittersweet coming-of-age theme into a single unforgettable moment.
- K-Pop: TWICE — Feel Special
ℹ️ Editorial Note: The cultural context and example usage are for educational reference only. Artist names, song titles, and drama references are used descriptively to illustrate vocabulary in context. This content is AI-assisted and reviewed for accuracy. For official information, please refer to the respective artists’ or studios’ official channels.