古 – Kanji Meaning, Reading, and Common Words

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What does 古 mean in Japanese?

古 means old in Japanese. It describes things that have aged, such as an old book, an old watch, or an old building, and it is the natural opposite of 新 (new). Note that 古 is used for things, not for people’s age.

古 has two main readings. Read it as ふるい (furui) in the adjective 古い, meaning ‘old,’ and as コ (ko) in compounds such as 中古 (chuuko, secondhand) and 古代 (kodai, ancient times). The pair 新しい and 古い is one of the first adjective opposites learners master.

Reading

On’yomi: コ (ko)

Kun’yomi: ふる-い (furu-i), ふる-す (furu-su)

Basic Information

Kanji 古
Meaning old, ancient
Stroke Count 5
JLPT Level N4

How to Understand This Kanji

古 focuses on age and the passage of time for things. 古い describes objects, buildings, and customs that have been around for a long time. It is not used to say a person is old; Japanese uses different expressions for people. In compounds read as コ, it appears in 中古 (secondhand) and 古代 (ancient times), covering everything from a used car to ancient history.

Common Words

  • 古い（ふるい / furui） — old (for things)
  • 中古（ちゅうこ / chuuko） — secondhand, used
  • 古本（ふるほん / furuhon） — used book
  • 古着（ふるぎ / furugi） — secondhand clothes
  • 古代（こだい / kodai） — ancient times
  • 中古車（ちゅうこしゃ / chuukosha） — used car

Example Sentences

  • この時計はとても古いです。

    このとけいはとてもふるいです。 / Kono tokei wa totemo furui desu.

    This watch is very old.

  • 中古の車を買うつもりです。

    ちゅうこのくるまをかうつもりです。 / Chuuko no kuruma o kau tsumori desu.

    I plan to buy a used car.

  • 古本屋で面白い本を見つけました。

    ふるほんやでおもしろいほんをみつけました。 / Furuhonya de omoshiroi hon o mitsukemashita.

    I found an interesting book at a secondhand bookstore.

Related Kanji

  • 新

    — 新 means new, the direct opposite of 古; together they form the basic contrast between new and old.

  • 本

    — 本 means book, and 古本 (used book) is a practical everyday compound; secondhand bookstores (古本屋) are common in Japan.

  • 車

    — 車 means car, and 中古車 (used car) is one of the most frequent real-world uses of 古 when shopping.

When Learners Usually See This Kanji

The everyday word is 古い (furui). A common beginner mistake is using 古い to describe a person’s age; it describes things, not people. The compound 中古 (chuuko) is practical vocabulary when shopping for a used car, phone, or game, and 古本屋 (furuhonya, secondhand bookstore) is a word you will actually see on shop signs in Japan.

Summary

古 means old for things and pairs with 新 as one of the first adjective opposites, appearing in practical words such as 古い and 中古.