かつて

か

つ

て

Common wordJLPTN2Freq.FrequencyTop 2,000

Meanings

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

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.

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.

See all 1,032 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

〈場ば所しょ〉にはかつて〈物もの〉があったthere used to be something in a place
この場ば所しょにはかつて大おおきな工こう場じょうがあった。
There used to be a big factory in this place.
かつて〈動どう詞し〉たことがないto have never done something before
このような事じ件けんはかつて起おきたことがない。
An incident like this has never happened before.
かつての〈人ひと〉a former (person)
彼かれはかつての同どう僚りょうだ。
He is a former colleague of mine.

Expressions

かつてないunprecedented; never seen before

Kanji

嘗once, before, formerly
曾once, before, formerly
曽formerly, once, before
都metropolis, capital, all

Related words· 6

以い前ぜんN3sense 1
以前 is a neutral word for 'before' or 'previously' used in many temporal comparisons, while かつて specifically frames a past state that no longer holds true.
今いままでN1sense 2
今まで means 'up until now' and centers on the span leading to the present, while かつて with a negative verb stresses that something has never occurred at any point in the past.
昔むかしN4sense 1
昔 refers broadly to 'the old days' or a distant past era, whereas かつて is used more narrowly to mark a specific past state or experience that has since changed.
ひところN1
一頃 is conversational and highlights a past period that contrasts with the present, while かつて is more formal or literary and often used for historical facts.

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当とう時じN3
当時 is tied to a specific past period given by context, whereas かつて is more literary and simply means 'once, formerly' without needing a stated period.
一いち時じN4
かつて is a literary word for 'once, in the past' with no clock-related meaning, while 一時 covers both 'formerly' and 'one o'clock' among other senses.

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

Etymology

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