Now that?

[nagara]

To all teachers,

The flower will soon start to bloom now that winter is gone and the weather is beginning to get warmer.

Would you mind explaining me the phrases "now that"?

Thanks a lot!

[JohnParis]

The flower will soon start to bloom because winter is finished and the weather is beginning to get warmer.

The flower will soon begin to bloom since winter is over and the weather is warmer.

Now that winter has ended, the weather is warmer and the flower should soon begin to bloom.

Hope this helps.
John

[nagara]

Thanks, teacher John.

The first time I went swimming in deep water, I sank to the bottom like a rock. Now that I have learned to stay afloat, I feel better about the water, but I still can't swim well.

What does "Now that" mean?
Can we use "As soon as or When" instead?

Thank you.

[emsr2d2]

Thanks, teacher John.

The first time I went swimming in deep water, I sank to the bottom like a rock. Now that I have learned to stay afloat, I feel better about the water, but I still can't swim well.

What does "Now that" mean?
Can we use "As soon as or When" instead?

Thank you.

No. "As soon as I have learned to stay afloat" would be followed by "I will feel better" because it suggests that you have not yet learned to stay afloat. The same applies to "When I have learned..."

The writer has clearly already learnt to stay afloat.

Now, because I can stay afloat, I feel better about the water.

Here are some examples that might help:

Now that you're a qualified teacher, you'll be able to get a better job.
Now that I have sold my house, I can start thinking about buying another one.
Now that my kids have left home, it's very quiet!
I have a lot of spare time now that I don't have a job.

[nagara]

Teacher,

Is it right to use "Now that" in the above-mentioned sentence?
And what does "Now that" mean?

Is "that I have learned to stay afloat" a noun clause? If so, how can it be used in the sentence like this?
Thanks.