昔昔
mukashi-mukashi[mɯ̟ka̠ɕi mɯ̟ka̠ɕi]
The English phrase "once upon a time" is translated into Japanese as 昔昔 (mukashi-mukashi). Wiktionary also lists 今は昔 (ima wa mukashi).
Meaning: traditional beginning of children’s stories, especially fairy tales (adv)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 昔昔 | mukashi-mukashi | [mɯ̟ka̠ɕi mɯ̟ka̠ɕi] (narrow) |
| 今は昔 | ima wa mukashi |
This phrase is used as a traditional adverbial beginning for children's stories, particularly fairy tales. To expand this opening into a more complete storytelling phrase, speakers often say 昔々あるところに, which translates to "once upon a time, in a certain place."
Which one should you use?
今は昔 is an archaic form of the expression.
How do you pronounce it?
mukashi-mukashi
When do people say it?
For folklore-style stories, the phrase あるところに can be used to begin a tale, translating to "Once upon a time, in a certain place…"
Did you know?
- The phrase 今は昔 literally translates to 'now is the past', creating a paradox that suggests the present moment is already a memory.
- In Japanese folklore, starting a story with these phrases often signals to the listener that the following events are not bound by the laws of logic or physics.
- The phrase 今は昔 is used not just for stories but in poetry to evoke the 'mono no aware' feeling of the fleeting nature of time.
Examples in context
- 昔々、奥深き森の中に…Once upon a time, deep in the forest…
- 昔昔、あるところに、おじいさんとおばあさんがいました。Mukashi mukashi, aru tokoro ni, ojiisan to obaasan ga imashita.Once upon a time, there lived an old man and an old woman in a certain place.
- 昔昔、魔法使いが森に住んでいました。Mukashi mukashi, mahoutsukai ga mori ni sunde imashita.Once upon a time, a wizard lived in the forest.
Example conversation
Ren is reading a bedtime story to Misaki.
- 蓮 Renいいかい、美咲。昔昔、あるところに不思議な猫がいました。ii kai, Misaki. mukashi mukashi, aru tokoro ni fushigi na neko ga imashita.Listen, Misaki. Once upon a time, there was a mysterious cat in a certain place.
- 美咲 Misaki不思議な猫？どんな猫なの？fushigi na neko? donna neko nano?A mysterious cat? What kind of cat was it?
- 蓮 Renその猫は、空を飛ぶことができたんだよ。sono neko wa, sora o tobu koto ga dekita n da yo.That cat was able to fly in the sky.
- 美咲 Misakiわあ、すごい！続きを読んで！waa, sugoi! tsuduki o yonde!Wow, amazing! Read the rest!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “once upon a time” translations and entries 昔昔, 今は昔, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 今は昔, 昔昔, CC BY-SA 4.0.
