古

音読おんよみ: コ

訓読くんよみ: ふるい・ふるす

画数かくすう: 5

部首ぶしゅ: くち（口）

Meaning

Old / Ancient / Used

  • Basic forms
  • 古す — to make old; to wear out / base form
  • 古します — makes old; wears out / masu form
  • 古した — made old; wore out / ta form
  • 古して — making old; wear out / te-form
  • 古さない — does not make old; doesn’t wear out / negative
  • 古せば — if (you) make old; if it wears out / conditional
  • 古せ・古しなさい — make it old!; wear it out! / imperative
  • Other common forms
  • 古したい — want to make old; want to wear out / 〜たい
  • 古せる — can make old; can wear out / potential
  • 古せない — cannot make old; cannot wear out / neg. potential
  • More
  • 古そう — looks old / 〜そう
  • 古さなかった — didn’t make old; didn’t wear out / past negative
  • 古している — is wearing out; is getting old (from use) / progressive
古す（ふるす） is a godan (5-dan) verb ending in す.
The stem shifts: さ → し → し, as in 古さない・古します・古した / 古して.
  • 古ふるい — old
  • 古本ふるほん — used book
  • 古代こだい — ancient times
  • 古語こご — archaic word
  • 古典こてん — classical literature
  • 古参こさん — veteran / old-timer
  • 考古学こうこがく — archaeology
  • 古今東西ここんとうざい — all times and places
Compound - tap to expand
  • 言いい古ふるす — to say repeatedly; to say so often it becomes trite
  • 聞きき古ふるす — to hear repeatedly; to be tired of hearing
  • 使つかい古ふるす — to wear out (by using); to use until old

古 is used for things that feel “from the past” — old houses, used items, ancient times, and classical works. You’ll see it often in words like 古本 (used books), 古代 (ancient times), and 古典 (classics).

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