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昔

once upon a time

JLPT N3 Grade 3 8 strokes
Kun'yomi
むかし
On'yomi
セキ・シャク
Radical
日 · sun (sun, day)

昔 means "once upon a time". It is a JLPT N3 kanji written in 8 strokes. It is read むかし in native Japanese words (kun'yomi) and セキ・シャク in compounds (on'yomi). Japanese schoolchildren learn it in grade 3.

昔 in example sentences

  • 昔むかしの言葉ことばだよ。

    Mukashi no kotoba da yo.

    It's an old word.

  • 昔むかしの写真しゃしんだよ。

    Mukashi no shashin da yo.

    It's an old picture.

  • 昔むかしはよかった。

    Mukashi wa yokatta.

    I've seen better days.

Example sentences from the Tatoeba Project, licensed CC-BY 2.0 FR.

Stroke order & writing

Want more? Practice writing from memory. Stroke-order and animation sources are on our credits page.

Words that use 昔

More 日 (sun) kanji

Common questions

What does the kanji 昔 mean?
昔 means "once upon a time". It is a JLPT N3 kanji.
How many strokes does 昔 have?
昔 is written in 8 strokes.
How is 昔 read?
It is read むかし in native Japanese words (kun'yomi) and セキ・シャク in compounds (on'yomi).
What JLPT level is 昔?
昔 is a JLPT N3 kanji.
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