昔|むかしmukashi[0]heiban (flat)

1. no-adjective, adverbthe old days; the past; former times; a long time ago
   ここは昔むかし、畑はたけだった。↗

   This place used to be a field.
2. nounthe past ten years; the past decadeused as a unit of time

• Synonym過去かこNeutralThe past viewed objectively; also a past one would rather keep hidden. 「昔」 carries more of a nostalgic feel.
• Synonym往時おうじWrittenWritten word for that bygone period, as in 「往時の面影」; nostalgic tone.
• Synonym既往きおうWrittenFormal word for the past; in medicine it refers to prior illness, as in 「既往歴」.
• Synonym往昔おうせきWrittenWritten word for the distant past; very rare and literary.
• Synonym往日おうじつWrittenWritten word for days gone by; very rare — say 「昔」 in everyday speech.
• Synonym旧時きゅうじWrittenWritten word for the old days or a former era; very rare — 「昔」 is the everyday choice.
• Synonym来し方きしかたWrittenArchaic term for the path one has walked through life, as in 「来し方行く末」.
• Synonym昔年せきねんWrittenWritten word for bygone years; very rare — use 「昔」 in daily speech.
• Synonym昔時せきじWrittenWritten word for a period in the past; very rare — 「昔」 is the everyday word.
• Synonym過ぎ来し方すぎこしかたWrittenArchaic term for the years gone by or the road one has come, with a wistful look back over one's life.
• Synonym往代おうだいWrittenWritten word for ancient times; very rare and solemn in tone.
• Related従来じゅうらいNeutralWhat has been the case up to now, stressing continuity, as in 「従来の方法」.
• Related古いにしえWrittenPoetic word for remote antiquity, as in 「いにしえの都」.
• Related往年おうねんWrittenWritten word for years gone by, 'back then'; often looks back on someone or something, as in 「往年の名選手」, though it is not limited to a person's prime.
• Related従前じゅうぜんWrittenThe previous state of things; mostly in official documents, as in 「従前の通り」.
• Antonym今いまCasualThe present moment, the direct opposite of 「昔」, as in 「今と昔」.
• Antonym現代げんだいNeutralThe present day as an era that includes now, as in 「現代社会」; the era-level counterpart of 「昔」.

「昔」 is the default for the past or former days. Say 「過去」 for the past stated objectively, 「従来」 for what has been true all along, 「往年」 for 'in years gone by', and 「いにしえ」 or 「往時」 for a literary, nostalgic flavor. The present is 「今」.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

1. （むかし）現在げんざいより以前いぜんの一時期いちじき。
2. （むかし）現在げんざいより以前いぜんの一時期いちじきにおいて。