古ふる本ほん

also: ふるぼん · こほん

ふ

る

ほ

ん

Common wordJLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

noun

secondhand book; used book

Common word for a previously owned book, typically sold at a used bookstore.

週しゅう末まつに古ふる本ほん市いちで珍めずらしい本ほんを見みつけた。
I found a rare book at the secondhand book fair on the weekend.
この古ふる本ほんは状じょう態たいがとても良よい。
This used book is in very good condition.

noun

ancient book; antiquarian book

Only with reading こほん

Rare, specialized term for old or antiquarian books; read as こほん. Not used for ordinary secondhand books.

図と書しょ館かんの貴き重ちょう書しょ庫こには多おおくの古こ本ほんが保ほ管かんされている。
Many antiquarian books are kept in the library's rare book collection.

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Usage patterns

〈物もの〉を売うるto sell a used book
読よみ終おわった古ふる本ほんを売うった。
I sold the secondhand book after finishing it.
〈物もの〉を探さがすto search for a used book
欲ほしい古ふる本ほんをネットで探さがした。
I searched online for the secondhand book I wanted.
〈物もの〉を漁あさるto rummage through used books (looking for finds)
休きゅう日じつは古ふる本ほんを漁あさるのが好すきだ。
On my days off, I like rummaging through secondhand books.

Kanji

古old
本book, present, main

Related words

中ちゅう古こ本ぼん sense 1
中古本 is the more commercial, listing-style term for a secondhand book, while 古本 is the everyday word used in conversation and at bookstores.
古こ書しょ sense 2
古書 is a more formal, bookish term often implying rarity or antiquarian value, whereas 古本 is the plain, everyday word for any used book.

Opposites

新しん本ぽん sense 1
新本 means a brand-new book, the direct opposite of 古本, a previously owned or secondhand one.

Don't confuse with

古ふる本ほん屋や
古本 means a used book itself, while 古本屋 is the shop that sells such books.

Counted with

冊さつN1
counter for books; counter for volumes · volume; book

Word family

古ふる本ほん屋や
secondhand bookshop; used bookstore
古ふる本ほん市いち
secondhand book fair; used book market

Built from

古ふる+本ほん

Written forms

古本Usage100%
- ふるほん
  Standard kanji spelling for 'secondhand book'.
- ふるぼん
  Alternate reading with rendaku; less common but still used.
- こほん
  Reading used specifically for 'ancient/antiquarian book' sense.
こほんUsage<1%
ふるぼん

Etymology

Compound of 古 (old) and 本 (book). The reading ふるほん is the most common, with ふるぼん as a rendaku variant. The reading こほん uses the on'yomi of both characters and is reserved for the antiquarian sense.