今は昔

Japanese

Kanji in this term
今 昔
いま
Grade: 2
むかし
Grade: 3
kun’yomi

Etymology

Literally, “now [in] the past”.

Idiom

今(いま)は昔(むかし) • (ima wa mukashi) 

  1. (archaic) used in the beginning of narratives or story literature: once upon a time, long ago
    • c. late 9th–mid-10th century, Taketori Monogatari
      今(いま)は昔(むかし)、竹(たけ)取(とり)の翁(をきな)といふ者(もの)ありけり。
      Ima wa mukashi, Taketori no Okina to iu mono arikeri.
      Once upon a time, there was a man who is called Taketori no Okina [old man who harvests bamboo].

Synonyms

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