Prefix-like use meaning 'old', 'used', or 'previous'; attaches to nouns to indicate something is not new or is from an earlier time.
I bundled up the old newspapers and threw them away.
I met an old friend for the first time in a while.
中古 is the standard commercial term for 'secondhand' (e.g. 中古車), while 古 is a more casual, native-sounding word for something used.
old; aged; antique · long-standing; time-honored; of the distant past · stale; hackneyed; corny · old-fashioned; outmoded; out-of-date
old river; former river
old clothes; secondhand clothing
secondhand book; used book · ancient book; antiquarian book
old haunts; former home; old nest
secondhand bookshop; used bookstore
stale; old-fashioned; outdated
old house; deserted house
old-timer; veteran; senior member · old stump; old roots
Standard kanji spelling for the noun and prefix uses.
Rarely used kanji form.
Rarely used kanji form.
From Old Japanese; cognate with 古い (furui, 'old'). The noun/prefix form 古 (furu) is a bound form that appears in compounds and as a standalone noun for used items.
old wound; scar · painful memory; past misdeed; old skeleton in the closet
worn-out; used; secondhand
hand-me-down; used article (esp. clothes)
old-fashioned; antiquated; time-worn
look old; become time-worn; get shabby
old furniture; secondhand goods; curios
old pond; old pool
used article; secondhand item · veteran; old-timer; long-serving employee · long-established; old-fashioned; commonplace
old newspaper; back issue
old; ancient
anciently; formerly; in old times · old times; a long time ago
wear out; make old
old fan; worn-out fan
old clothes; used clothing
old fox; cunning old person; schemer
old badger; veteran; old fox; schemer
aged paste; fermented starch paste