昔 means “long ago, old times”

むかし · mukashi

Also: once upon a time, antiquity

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading)

むかし

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

セキ, シャク

JLPT N3 · Taught in grade 3 · 8 strokes

The story

Picture a sun (日) buried under layer upon layer of days: long, long ago. Japanese folk tales open with 昔々あるところに, "once upon a time, in a certain place," and 昔話 are the tales themselves.

Used in 昔 (mukashi, long ago), 昔話 (mukashibanashi, folk tale), and 大昔 (oomukashi, ancient times)

More from Time & Change

• 晩 evening
• 化 transform
• 成 become
• 期 period
• 続 continue
• 初 first
• 際 edge
• 次 next
• 昨 yesterday
• 変 change
• 過 pass
• 末 end

Learn 昔 and more kanji free on Fuji Learning · All kanji

Readings from KANJIDIC2, © EDRDG, CC BY-SA.