What it means
تا کنون (tâ konun) means “until now” or “so far.” It is a compound of two native Persian words: تا (tâ), a preposition meaning “up to” or “until,” and کنون (konun), an adverb meaning “now” that descends from Proto-Indo-European *nu, the same ancient root behind the English word “now.” Together they mark the span of time from some past point all the way to the present moment. A close synonym is تا به حال (tâ be hâl), which carries the same meaning and is slightly more common in everyday speech. In formal writing and news Persian, تا کنون is preferred.
How to use it
- تا کنون هیچ خبری نشنیدم. (tâ konun hich khabari nashenidam.) “I haven’t heard any news so far.”
- تا کنون پنج نفر ثبتنام کردهاند. (tâ konun panj nafar sabt-e nâm karde-and.) “Five people have registered so far.”
- تا کنون با او حرف نزدهام. (tâ konun bâ u harf nazade-am.) “I haven’t spoken to him until now.”
- تا کنون چقدر پیشرفت کردی؟ (tâ konun cheghadr pishraft kardi?) “How much progress have you made so far?”
Cultural note
تا کنون sits at the formal end of the register scale. In everyday Tehran conversation, most speakers default to تا حالا (tâ hâlâ) or تا به حال (tâ be hâl), reserving تا کنون for written reports, news broadcasts, and academic prose. Learners who use تا کنون in casual chat will be understood perfectly, though they may sound a touch formal to native ears. The phrase is extremely common in Persian news headlines and official announcements, so reading Iranian news is the fastest way to absorb its rhythm.