かつて

か

つ

て

Common wordJLPTN2Freq.FrequencyTop 2,000

Meanings

1

adverb, noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no'

once; before; formerly; ever

usually written using kana alone

Refers to a past time or a previous state; often used in statements about something that was true in the past but is no longer the case. Can also mean 'ever' in questions.

かつてここは海うみだった。
This place was once a sea.

彼かれはかつて有ゆう名めいな歌か手しゅだった。

He was once a famous singer.

2

adverb, noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no'

never yet; never before; first time

usually written using kana alone

Used with a negative verb to express that something has never happened before; emphasizes the absence of prior experience.

こんなに美うつくしい景色けしきはかつて見みたことがない。
I have never seen such a beautiful view before.
彼かれはかつて嘘うそをついたことがない。
He has never told a lie.

Written forms

かつてUsage97%
Standard modern spelling; the word is usually written in kana.
かってUsage1%
曾かつてUsage1%
search-only kanji form
Search-only kanji form; not used in modern writing.
嘗てUsage1%
rarely-used kanji form
- かつて
  Rare kanji form; learners will almost always encounter the kana spelling.
- かって
曽てUsage<1%
rarely-used kanji form
- かつて
  Rare kanji form.
- かって
都て
rarely-used kanji form
- かつて
  Rare kanji form.
- かって

Kanji

嘗once, before, formerly
曾once, before, formerly
曽formerly, once, before
都

Similar words

以い前ぜん
以前 is a more general word for 'before' or 'previously', often used in temporal comparisons, while かつて emphasizes a past state that is no longer true or an experience that has never occurred.
今いままで
今まで means 'until now' and focuses on the period leading up to the present, whereas かつて with a negative verb stresses that something has not happened at any point in the past.

Etymology

Derived from classical Japanese; the exact origin is uncertain, but it has been used since the Heian period to mean 'once' or 'formerly'.

metropolis, capital, all