Writing
旧 (jiù) — how to say "old" in Chinese
旧
Old
adjective
Radicals / Keys
日
Sun
#72 · rì · 4 strokes
Synonyms
Collocations
旧书
jiù shū
old book
旧衣服
jiù yīfu
old clothes
旧房子
jiù fángzi
old house
Examples
他虽然开着一辆旧车，但保养得很好。
Although he drives an old car, he maintains it very well.
这是一本旧书。
This is an old book.
Mnemonic
[jiù-] In Aunt Julie's shed, a kitten named Jules found an 旧 old chest 🧺. "Jules, it's ancient!" Aunt Julie laughs. The kitten naps on the lid and purrs: 旧 means old, just like this dusty chest.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say "old" in Chinese?
"old" in Chinese is 旧 (jiù).
Jiu meaning in Chinese
旧 (jiù) means "Old".
Old in Chinese pinyin
It is pronounced jiù (written as jiu). You can listen to the pronunciation on this page.
Old in Chinese character
It is written 旧 and has 5 strokes. The Writing section above animates the stroke order and lets you trace it.
What HSK level is 旧?
旧 belongs to the HSK 3 vocabulary list.
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Grammar with 旧
是它 — whether it's good or bad
X + 是 (shì) + 它 (tā)，Y + 也 (yě) + 是 (shì) + 它 (tā)
不时 vs 仍旧 — still and from time to time
不时 (bùshí) + Verb — "from time to time"; 仍旧 (réngjiù) / 依旧 (yījiù) + Verb/Adj. — "still, as before"
通通 vs 唯独 — all vs only
Subj. + 通通 (tōngtōng) / 统统 (tǒngtǒng) + Verb (all without exception); 唯 (wéi) / 唯独 (wéidú) / 唯有 (wéiyǒu) + Noun / Subj. + Verb (only, solely)