these days
these days — 慣用語
1. at the present time, especially when comparing with how things were in the past
如今
指當下,常與過去對比
at the present time, especially when comparing with how things were in the past or describing how situations have changed
Caleb usually cycles to work, but these days he takes the bus because of his sore knee.
Caleb 通常騎腳踏車上班,但近來因為膝蓋痠痛都改搭公車。
contrast structure: 'usually ..., but these days ...'
These days, finding a parking spot near the market is much harder, Indra says.
如今要在市場附近找停車位比以前難多了,Indra 說。
Sade's grandmother remembers when the street was quiet, but these days traffic is heavy all day.
Sade 的祖母還記得這條街從前很安靜,但如今整天車流量都很大。
More people in Faisal's office work from home these days than they did two years ago.
Faisal 辦公室裡現在在家工作的人比兩年前更多了。
These days, fewer children play outside their homes than when Yuki was young.
如今在外面玩的小孩比 Yuki 小時候少了很多。
- 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
- in the past
direct temporal opposite
- in those days
refers to a specific past period, the opposite of the present contrast
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').