古い
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Base i-adjective form ending in 『い』. Describes age or antiquity of objects, ideas, or things. Used directly before nouns or in predicate position.
Theme
Two friends, Yuki and User, are browsing at a local flea market in Tokyo, looking at various antiques and second-hand items.
古い
ふるい
old
Core Language Building BlocksCore Adjectives
Memory Hook
Imagine an 'old' antique that's 'fur-u' (sounds like ふるい furui, 'old'). 'Fur-u' → 古い (furui, 'old') — think of something ancient!
Cultural Note
『古い』 (furui, 'old') is often used to describe old objects, traditions, or buildings in Japan, such as 『古いお寺』 (furui otera, 'old temple'). It can also imply something outdated in modern contexts.
Forms
Base: 古いBase i-adjective form ending in 『い』. Describes age or antiquity of objects, ideas, or things. Used directly before nouns or in predicate position.
Negative: 古くないDrop 『い』 → add 『くない』 (kunai, negative) → 『古くない』 (furukunai, 'not old').
Past: 古かったDrop 『い』 → add 『かった』 (katta, past) → 『古かった』 (furukatta, 'was old').
Adverbial: 古くDrop 『い』 → add 『く』 (ku, adverbial) → 『古く』 (furuku).
Comparative: より古いComparative formed with modifier 『より』 (yori, 'more than') + base adjective.
Superlative: 一番古いSuperlative formed with 『一番』 (ichiban, 'number one / Most') + adjective.