Kanji Database
English
昔

昔 — readings, stroke count and radical

Stroke order

Stroke order data from KanjiVG (CC BY-SA 3.0).

Meaning (Japanese)

  1. むかし。過去。

Character meanings and origins come from the Japanese Wiktionary.

Origin of the character

形声。「日」 + 音符「龷」。「むかし」を意味する漢語｛昔｝を表す字。

Character meanings and origins come from the Japanese Wiktionary.

Meaning

once upon a time, antiquity, old times

English glosses from KANJIDIC2.

Readings

On (Sino-Japanese)
  • セキHS
  • シャクJHS
Kun (native)
  • むかしElem.
Other languages
  • 拼音xi2
  • 拼音xi1
  • 한글seog
  • 한글chag
  • Hán-ViệtTích

Labels show the school stage at which each Jōyō reading is taught.

Basics

Strokes
8 strokes
Radical
日(ひ)
JIS level
Level 1
JLPT (old scale)
Level 2
Unicode
U+6614

Components

Components this kanji is made of. Follow them to find similar kanji.

Composition (IDS): top–bottom ⿱艹𣄼

Words using this kanji

  • 昔むかし（むかし）現在より以前の一時期。 （むかし）現在より以前の一時期において。the old days, the past, former times, a long time ago
  • 昔話むかしばなし「むかしばなし」の漢字表記。old tale, folk tale, legend, reminiscence
  • 昔のままむかしのままthe way it was, the way it used be, as of old, in former times
  • 昔風むかしふう昔の風習、習慣、慣習。old-fashioned, old-style
  • 昔式むかししきold fashioned, in ancient style
  • 昔日せきじつむかしの漢語表現]、かつて。old days
  • 昔々むかしむかしlong ago, once upon a time
  • 昔年せきねんむかし。old times, antiquity, former years
  • 昔時せきじ過去の一時期。old times, former times
  • 昔者むかしものold person, old-fashioned person
  • 昔兎むかしうさぎpaleolagine lagomorph (Paleolaginae spp., incl. the Amami rabbit and the red rock hares)
  • 昔人むかしびと昔の人。previous generations, people of the past, ancients
  • 昔気質むかしかたぎold-fashioned way of thinking, old-fashioned spirit, old-fashioned
  • 昔語りむかしがたりold story, reminiscence
  • 昔蜥蜴むかしとかげtuatara (primitive lizardlike reptile endemic to New Zealand)
  • 昔蜻蛉むかしとんぼEpiophlebia superstes (species of living-fossil dragonfly endemic to Japan)
  • 昔沙蚕むかしごかいarchiannelids of the genus Saccocirrus (esp. Saccocirrus major)
  • 昔人間むかしにんげんold-fashioned person, old-timer, old fogey
  • 昔なじみむかしなじみむかしなじみ 参照old friend, familiar face
  • 昔を想うむかしをおもうto recall the old days

Words starting with this kanji, most common first.

See all words containing this kanji(43 results)

Lookup codes

SKIP
2-4-4
Four Corner
4460.1
Spahn–Hadamitzky
3k5.28
Heisig
1268
Nelson
2108