these days

these days — idiom

1. at the present time, especially when comparing with how things were in the past

1.慣用語A2
釋義

at the present time, especially when comparing with how things were in the past or describing how situations have changed

例句

Caleb usually cycles to work, but these days he takes the bus because of his sore knee.

contrast structure: 'usually ..., but these days ...'

These days, finding a parking spot near the market is much harder, Indra says.

同義詞
  • nowadays

    interchangeable in most contexts; 'nowadays' can sound slightly more formal or literary

  • currently

    more neutral and factual; does not carry the same sense of contrast with the past

  • at present

    slightly more formal and often used in writing rather than everyday speech

反義詞

文法句型

used as a time adverbial at the beginning or end of a clause

用法筆記

This phrase almost always carries an implicit contrast with the past — it suggests that the current situation is different from how things used to be. It is not used for neutral present-time reference (for that, use 'now' or 'at the moment').

常見錯誤

❌I miss the good old days. These days were much simpler.
✅I miss the good old days. Those days were much simpler.
💡'These days' refers to the present; use 'those days' to refer to a past time.
❌These days' weather is very hot.
✅The weather these days is very hot.
💡'These days' is an adverbial phrase, not a possessive determiner. Do not use it like 'today's' or 'this year's'.