古 — how to write the kanji for “old”
古 (“old”) is a JLPT N4 kanji taught in second grade in Japan. KANJIDIC2 gives it 1 on reading and 3 kun readings, so the word decides how you say it. Its parts sit stacked: 十 (“ten”), strokes 1–2; 口 (“mouth”, its radical), strokes 3–5, each finished before the next. On its own it is the word inishie, “antiquity; ancient times”. Read ko, it forms 古代 (“ancient times”), 古典 (“classic (work, esp. book)”) and 古墳 (“ancient burial mound”); the native reading furu-i gives 古い (“old”). Chinese reads it gǔ, “ancient”, at HSK 5.
- Strokes
- 5
- JLPT
- N4
- Radical
- 口 (“mouth”)
- On
- コ
- Kun
- -ふる·す, ふる·い, ふる-
Stroke by stroke
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- Horizontal ㇐leftrightwards
- Vertical ㇑topdownwards
- Vertical ㇑leftdownwards
- Horizontal-turn ㇕leftrightwards → downwards
- Horizontal ㇐bottom leftrightwards
Japanese and Chinese
Japanese and Chinese draw all 5 strokes in the same order and direction, by our stroke-by-stroke comparison.
Trace it
Follow the numbers. Tracing help
Readings
- On (Chinese-derived)
- コ ko
- Kun (native)
- -ふる·す -furu-su, ふる·い furu-i (rare), ふる- furu- (rare)
- Meanings
- old
- Read ko
- 古代 古典 古墳 考古学 中古 古書
- Read furu-i
- 古い
- School year
- second grade
- Newspaper rank
- 509th of 2,500 (KANJIDIC2)
- Korean hanja
- 고 go
- Common words
- 30 in JMdict
Words with 古
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 古代 | こだい kodai | ancient times; distant past |
| 古典 | こてん koten | classic (work, esp. book); the classics |
| 古墳 | こふん kofun | ancient burial mound; barrow |
| 考古学 | こうこがく koukogaku | archaeology; archeology |
| 中古 | ちゅうこ chuuko | used; second-hand |
| 古書 | こしょ kosho | old book; rare book |
| 最古 | さいこ saiko | the oldest; the earliest |
| 中古車 | ちゅうこしゃ chuukosha | used car; secondhand car |
| 古都 | こと koto | ancient city; former capital |
| 古い | ふるい furui | old; aged |
Most common first (JMdict).
Practice sheet
Print at 100%. Several kanji: worksheet maker.
Keep going
Same parts:
JLPT N4, in list order: