舊 meaning and stroke order
Old, ancient; former, past
How to write 舊, stroke by stroke
18 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 舊
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- old
- opposite: new 新
- former
- worn (with age)
How 舊 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character.
臼 hints at the sound.
Radical: 臼 (mortar), shared by 13 characters on this site.
How to remember 舊
舊 is built from 雈 on top and 臼 (jiù) at the bottom. 臼 gives the sound jiù, so picture an old owl-like bird 雈 perched on a worn stone mortar 臼 that has been used for years.
舊 means old in the sense of used, worn, or former, and it is the opposite of 新 (xīn, new). It appears in words like 懷舊 (huáijiù, nostalgia) and 照舊 (zhàojiù, as before). Example: 這件衣服很舊了。(Zhè jiàn yīfu hěn jiù le.) This piece of clothing is very old.
Common mistake: Learners often use 舊 for people's age, but an old person is 老 (lǎo), not 舊. Use 舊 for things, places, and relationships that are worn or former, like 舊朋友 (jiù péngyou, old friend from the past).
Common words with 舊
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 依舊 | yījiù | as before; still; to remain the same | HSK 5 |
| 仍舊 | réngjiù | still (remaining); to remain (the same) | HSK 5 |
| 破舊 | pòjiù | shabby | HSK 7-9 |
| 懷舊 | huáijiù | to feel nostalgic; nostalgia | HSK 7-9 |
| 陳舊 | chénjiù | old-fashioned; out of date; obsolete; antiquated | HSK 7-9 |
| 照舊 | zhàojiù | as before; as in the past | |
| 老舊 | lǎojiù | outmoded; old-fashioned | |
| 舊情 | jiùqíng | old affection | |
| 舊事 | jiùshì | old affair; former matter | |
| 舊約 | Jiùyuē | former agreement; former contract | |
| 敘舊 | xùjiù | to reminisce; to talk about former times | |
| 重操舊業 | chóngcāojiùyè | (idiom) to resume one's old trade | |
| 舊日 | jiùrì | former times; olden days | |
| 舊時 | jiùshí | in former times; the olden days |
Questions about 舊
How many strokes are in 舊?
舊 is written with 18 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 舊 mean?
舊 (jiù) means old, ancient; former, past. A common word with it is 依旧 (yījiù), meaning "as before; still; to remain the same".
How do you pronounce 舊?
舊 is pronounced jiù, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 舊?
The radical of 舊 is 臼, which carries the idea of "mortar". Dictionaries list 舊 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 舊?
舊 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 旧, used in mainland China and Singapore.
What is the difference between 舊 and 老?
老 (lǎo) means old in age and is used for people, animals, and long-established things. 舊 (jiù) means used, worn, or former. A 老房子 is an old house that has stood a long time, while a 舊房子 stresses that it is worn or the one you used to live in.
How is 舊 used to mean former?
Put 舊 before a noun to mean the earlier one. For example, 舊地址 (jiù dìzhǐ) is a former address, and 舊情 (jiùqíng) is old affection from a past relationship.