Japanese dictionary
How to say "old" in Japanese
古いふるい · furui
"Old" for things is 古い (furui). For people, Japanese avoids 古い and says 年を取った (toshi o totta) or uses age: 〜歳 (sai).
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Ways to say "old" in Japanese
| Japanese | When to use it |
|---|---|
| 古いふるい · furui | Old (things, not people). |
| 年を取ったとしをとった · toshi o totta | Old; elderly (people). |
| 〜歳〜さい · sai | Years old. |
| 昔のむかしの · mukashi no | Old; former; from long ago. |
How to use it
"How old are you?" is 何歳ですか (nansai desu ka), or politely おいくつですか.
"An old friend" is 昔からの友だち (mukashi kara no tomodachi).
Example sentences
- このパソコンは古いです。Kono pasokon wa furui desu.This computer is old.
- おいくつですか。O-ikutsu desu ka.How old are you?
- 息子は十歳です。Musuko wa jussai desu.My son is ten years old.
- 昔からの友だちに会いました。Mukashi kara no tomodachi ni aimashita.I met an old friend.
- 古いお寺を見学しました。Furui o-tera o kengaku shimashita.I visited an old temple.
- 祖父は年を取りましたが、元気です。Sofu wa toshi o torimashita ga, genki desu.My grandfather has gotten old, but he's healthy.
Kanji in this word
Questions
Can you use 古い for people?
No. 古い (furui) is for things. For people, say 年配の方 (nenpai no kata, an older person) or mention their age.
How do you ask someone's age politely?
Ask おいくつですか (o-ikutsu desu ka). With adults, asking age can feel personal, so be careful at work.
Using Japanese at work?
See Executive JapaneseExecutive Japanese by CCN is one-on-one online Japanese for managers and directors doing business in Japan.