Meaning

Primary

Long Ago

Alternative

Long Time Ago

Word Type

noun, の adjective

Explanation

The kanji and the word are exactly the same. That means they share meanings as well. This is a good way to start stories, by the way: 昔々に… (Long, long ago).

Reading

むかし
  • Kyoko
    (Tokyo accent, female)
  • Kenichi
    (Tokyo accent, male)

Explanation

The reading is the same as the one you learned with the kanji. むかし sounds like a kun'yomi reading, doesn't it? It's so long.

Context

Patterns of Use

Common Word Combinations

  • 昔の話

    story from long ago

    昔の人

    people of long ago

    昔の自分

    one's old self

Context Sentences

ここは昔、山だったんだよ。

This place used to be a mountain a long time ago.

コウイチはただの昔の友人です。

Koichi is just an old friend.

昔、一回だけ、テレビ画面にキスしたことがあるよ。

I once kissed the TV screen a long time ago.

Kanji Composition