Word
中古
Meaning in Englishused, secondhand
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Sentence
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Word context
What it means
In common usage, 中古 designates goods that have been previously owned or used, i.e., secondhand or pre-owned items, rather than new ones.
Main meanings
- Used or pre-owned status for items, frequently appearing in contexts like 中古品 and 中古車 to indicate non-new condition.
How to use it
Primarily used in retail, classifieds, and product descriptions to label pre-owned items; it functions as a noun or as a modifier with の, and is common in both written and spoken Japanese when discussing the condition of goods.
Variants and close terms
- 中古品 chuuko-hin: secondhand goods
- 中古車 chuuko-sha: used car
- リサイクル品 risakairu-hin: recycled goods
Composition
- 中 middle, center
- 古 old, former
- Together they form a sense of something that is not new, i.e., previously owned, hence secondhand goods.
Word class
Noun (名詞)
Word
Related words by kanji and components
N2
中間
chuukan
middle, midway, interim
N2
中世
chuusei
Middle Ages, medieval times
N2
中性
chuusei
neuter gender, neutral
N2
中途
chuuto
in the middle, half-way
N2
中年
chuunen
middle-aged
N2
中指
nakayubi
middle finger
N2
話中
hanashichuu
while talking, the line is busy
N2
古～
furu～
old ~
N2
古里
furusato
home town, birthplace
Kanji