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Kotomora

昔

once upon a time, antiquity, old times

JLPTN3StatusJōyō · grade 3FrequencyTop 2,000Strokes8

Readings

On'yomi

  • セキ
  • シャク

Kun'yomi

  • むかし

Meaning

昔 centers on the distant past: old times, antiquity, or the classic story-opening 'once upon a time.'

Most common words using 昔

20 of 43
  • 昔むかし
    N4

    the old days; the past; former times; a long time ago

  • 大昔おおむかし

    ancient times; prehistoric times; the distant past; a very long time ago

  • 昔ながらむかしながら

    unchanged (from long ago); as it was in the past; same old; traditional

  • 昔話むかしばなし
    N1

    old tale; folk tale; legend

  • 一昔ひとむかし
    N1

    an age (ago); a long time (ago); a decade (ago)

  • 今昔こんじゃく

    past and present

  • 昔気質むかしかたぎ

    old-fashioned way of thinking; old-fashioned spirit

  • 昔日せきじつ

    old days

  • 昔なじみむかしなじみ

    old friend; familiar face

  • 昔のままむかしのまま

    the way it was; the way it used be; as of old; in former times

  • 昔風むかしふう

    old-fashioned; old-style

  • その昔そのむかし

    a long time ago; in those days

  • とうの昔とうのむかし

    a long time ago; long ago

  • とくの昔とくのむかし

    a long time ago; long ago

  • とっくの昔とっくのむかし

    a long, long time ago; very long ago

  • 一昔前ひとむかしまえ

    long ago; previous; of a former age

  • 二昔ふたむかし

    way in the past; two (or so) decades (ago)

  • 今は昔いまはむかし

    once upon a time; a long time ago

  • 今昔物語こんじゃくものがたり

    Konjaku Monogatarishū (abbr) (31-volume collection of stories written during the late Heian period); The Tale of Konjaku

  • 今昔物語集こんじゃくものがたりしゅう

    Konjaku Monogatarishū (31-volume collection of stories written during the late Heian period); Tales of Times Now Past

Explore all words using 昔 →

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Etymology

昔 is traditionally explained as combining 龷 (a variant of 共, suggesting 'together' or 'accumulated') with 日 (sun/day), giving the idea of many days past, hence 'old times.'

Meaning mnemonic

The top 龷 looks like piled-up layers, and the bottom 日 is the sun. Imagine many suns stacked up, representing days long past: 昔 is 'once upon a time.'

Reading mnemonic

For セキ, picture an old, dusty antique sake (セキ sounds like 'seki' in 'sake'?) Actually, use 'secky' as a made-up name for an ancient relic: 'This secky old vase is from 昔.' The sound 'secky' cues セキ.