昔 (xī) - past & former times

昔Tone 1

xī ｜ 8 strokes ｜ radical: 日

万响

昔 · xī

past;

former times;

ancient;

bygone days;

yesterday

pastformer timesancient

Usage highlights

in the pastformer timesancient timesbygone daysyesterdaypast events

Synonyms

  • 往— past; former
  • 古— ancient; old
  • 旧— old; former

Antonyms

  • 今— present; now
  • 现— current; present
  • 新— new

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • In the past (昔日), life was simpler.
  • I miss the old days (往昔).
  • This is an ancient legend (昔日的传说).
  • He reminisced about yesterday (昨日之昔).

Collocations

  • in the past(昔日)
  • former times(往昔)
  • ancient times(古昔)
  • bygone days(昔时)
  • yesterday(昨日之昔)
  • past events(往事)

Idioms

  • Today is not as good as yesterday(今不如昔)
  • Recalling the past and comparing it with the present(抚今追昔)
  • As in former days(一如往昔)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In Chinese philosophy, '昔' often appears in discussions about the value of history and learning from the past.
  • The character appears in classical texts like the Book of Documents and Analects to refer to ancient times.
  • It's commonly used in poetic contexts to evoke nostalgia and reflection on time's passage.

FAQ