Japanese word

一昔

Pronunciation

Romajihitomukashi

Meaning

  • nouna long time

Example

あれから一昔が過ぎました。a re ka ra hito mukashi ga su gi ma shi ta

It has been a long time since then.

Illustration for 一昔 (a long time)

More examples

一昔前には、今ほどスマートフォンが普及していませんでした。hito mukashi mae ni wa ima ho do su mā to fo n ga fu kyū shi te i ma se n de shi ta

About a decade ago, smartphones were not as widespread as they are today.

Core concept

一昔 (hitomukashi) treats about ten years as one recognizable unit of elapsed time.

Common phrases

  • 一昔前hito mukashi mae

    about a decade ago

Similar words

昔mukashi: A distant time in the past with no fixed duration.
過去kako: The time that has already passed before now.

Definition in Japanese

今から十年程度さかのぼった過去の一時期。ima ka ra jū nen tei do sa ka no bo tta ka ko no ichi ji ki

Word origin

一昔 (hitomukashi) is formed from 一 (hito, "one") and 昔 (mukashi, "the past"), and the combined word conventionally refers to a period of about ten years.

Usage tips

  • In conversations about technology or fashion, 一昔 (hitomukashi) commonly frames change as a contrast between the past and the present.

Other meanings

  • a decade agonoun

Word lists with this word