недавно vs только что

nedavno vs tol'ko chto — recently vs just now

What it really means

Недавно means recently, at an unspecified but not distant time in the past. Только что means just now, moments before the speech moment. Both commonly appear with past tense, but только что is much more immediate.

Use недавно for a recent period or event when exact proximity does not matter; use только что when the result is fresh or the event has just happened.

Examples in natural speech

Я недавно переехал в этот район.
I recently moved to this neighbourhood.
Мы недавно познакомились.
We met recently.
Она только что вышла.
She just went out.
Я только что получил сообщение.
I just received a message.
Недавно здесь открылось кафе.
A café opened here recently.

Common mistakes

Недавно cannot normally mean seconds ago in an immediate reply; say только что. Only что is fixed as two words, not one word.

Memory tip

Только что means “only [a moment] ago”; недавно leaves a wider recent window.

Frequently asked questions

How recent is недавно?

It is context-dependent: days, weeks, or sometimes months ago.

How do I say I just arrived?

Я только что пришёл/пришла.

Can both use past tense?

Yes: недавно был and только что был.

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