古い

ふるい
Alternative writings: 旧い, 故い
JLPT:N5
Frequency:
1

Old or aged (referring to things, not people); worn or antique due to long existence or use.

I-Adjective

Examples

この古い時計は祖父からもらった。

I received this old clock from my grandfather.

古い建物は耐震性が低いことがある。

Old buildings can sometimes have poor earthquake resistance.

保存状態が良ければ、古い本でも読むことができる。

If it's well preserved, even an old book can still be read.

2

Having existed for a long time; long-established or time-honored (often used as 古くから).

I-Adjective

Examples

この祭りは古くから続いている。

This festival has been held since long ago.

古くからの習慣が今も残っている村だ。

It's a village where time-honored customs still remain.

古くより人々は星を観測してきた。

People have observed the stars since ancient times.

3

Belonging to the distant past; long-ago (referring to ancient times or events).

I-Adjective

Examples

古い伝説がこの島に伝わっている。

An ancient legend has been passed down on this island.

その話は古い昔のことだ。

That story is from long ago.

古い時代の遺跡を発掘した。

They excavated ruins from an ancient era.

4

Stale, hackneyed, or trite; lacking freshness (used for overused expressions, jokes, ideas, etc.).

I-Adjective

Examples

その冗談は古いから、もう笑えない。

That joke is old, so it's no longer funny.

記事は古い表現ばかりで新鮮味がない。

The article is full of stale expressions and lacks freshness.

その映画は古いプロットで先が読めてしまう。

That movie has a tired plot that's easy to predict.

5

Old-fashioned or outmoded; not up-to-date in style, ideas, or technology.

I-Adjective

Examples

その服は古いので、今の流行には合わない。

That clothing is old-fashioned and doesn't fit current trends.

古い価値観は時代遅れだと言われることがある。

Old-fashioned values are sometimes called out as outdated.

このシステムは古い設計で改善が必要だ。

This system has an outdated design and needs improvement.

Word Relationships