old, former, antique

About this kanji

The kanji "旧" primarily means old or former, and it is used mainly as a noun in Japanese. You will often encounter it in compounds such as "旧暦" (きゅうれき), which refers to the old calendar, typically used for traditional festivals and events. Another common term is "旧友" (きゅうゆう), meaning old friend, someone you have known for a long time. Additionally, "旧姓" (きゅうせい) refers to a former surname, often used when discussing a woman’s maiden name. This kanji emphasizes the idea of something that once was, providing a sense of nostalgia in conversations.

Built from

Example sentences

• 旧い町を歩いた。

  I walked through the old town.

Meanings across languages

English

old, former, antique

Tiếng Việt

cũ, trước đây

日本語

古い, 前の

한국어

오래된, 이전의, 골동품

中文

旧的, 前任, 古董

id

tua, mantan, antik

th

เก่า, อดีต, โบราณ

es

viejo, anterior, antiguo

fr

ancien, précédent, antique

de

alt, ehemalig, antik

pt

velho, antigo, antiquado

Common compounds

• 旧暦きゅうれきold calendar
• 旧友きゅうゆうold friend
• 旧姓きゅうせいformer surname