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往日 (おうじつ) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

往おう日じつ

お

う

じ

つ

Meanings

1

noun

ancient times; days of old

Formal, literary term for the distant past. Not used in everyday conversation; modern equivalents include 昔 or 古代.

往おう日じつの栄えい華がをしのばせる遺い跡せきが残のこっている。
Ruins remain that evoke the glory of ancient times.

Kanji

往journey, travel, chase away
日day, sun, Japan

Similar words

昔むかし
Common, everyday word for 'old times' or 'long ago'. 往日 is a formal, literary synonym rarely used in speech.
古こ代だい
Standard term for 'ancient times', especially in historical contexts. 往日 carries a more poetic, nostalgic nuance.

Etymology

Composed of 往 (past, go) and 日 (day, sun). The exact historical derivation is uncertain; the compound is conventionally associated with the meaning 'days gone by'.