How to say 'Old' in Japanese | 旧

Wondering how to say 'Old' in Japanese? You're in the right place!

The Japanese word for Old is 'Kyuu', written as 旧 in Japanese.'Old' in hiragana is きゅう.

word

旧

Meaning

Old

Reading

きゅう

kyuu

Kanji

旧Old, Past

Explanation

The Japanese noun '旧 (きゅう)' primarily means 'old' or 'former'. It is often used to refer to something that is outdated, previous, or no longer in use. This word is commonly seen in contexts such as '旧制度 (きゅうせいど)' meaning 'old system' or '旧友 (きゅうゆう)' meaning 'old friend'. It can also be used in historical contexts to refer to past eras or systems. For example: the old calendar「旧暦」(きゅうれき). This is the former president「これは旧大統領です」(これはきゅうだいとうりょうです). The word '旧' is often used in formal or written contexts and carries a nuance of something being replaced or outdated.

Part Of Speech

noun

Kanji JLPT

N2

Kanji Grade

5

Frequency

1583

Composition

kanji

Handwriting