中古の
chūko no
The English word 'used' (meaning previously owned) is translated into Japanese as 中古の (chūko no).
中古の is an adjective used to describe items that have been previously owned. While 中古の is the adjective form, if you want to refer to the category of second-hand items or used goods themselves, you would use the noun 中古品.
Meaning: that has or have previously been owned by someone else (adj)
What does it mean word for word?
The word 中古 consists of the characters 中, meaning middle or mid and 古, meaning old. Literally, it can be understood as 'middle-aged' or 'mid-old', describing goods that are no longer new but are not quite antique.
Which one should you use?
中古の is the direct antonym of 新品の, which means 'brand new', when describing the condition of products. In casual conversations, you may also encounter the katakana loanword ユーズド.
How does it change in a sentence?
When using 中古 as an adjective to modify a noun, the particle の is required, such as in 中古の車 (a used car).
How do you pronounce it?
chūko no
Did you know?
- When browsing online marketplaces, you might encounter the term 訳あり (wakeari), which means 'there is a reason'. This is a common way to label used items that are being sold at a discount due to a specific defect or minor scratch.
- If you are looking for something used but in excellent, near-perfect condition, you might see the term 新古品 (shinkohin) used instead. This literally translates to 'new-old product', describing items that were previously owned or handled but are functionally brand new.
- In Japan, there is a specialized culture of 中古 luxury goods where items are graded with extreme precision, often using labels like 'Rank S' for items that are technically used but indistinguishable from new.
Examples in context
- トムは中古のトラックを買いました。Tom bought a used truck.This sentence demonstrates the use of 中古の to describe a used truck.Tatoeba #10553083 by small_snow, translation #10553075 by AlanF_US
- 中古の車を買おうと思ってたけど、今はそれなりに稼いでるから、奮発して新車を買うことにしたんだ。I had thought of buying a used car, but since I'm earning a decent amount of money now, I decided to splurge and buy a new one.This sentence shows a contrast between the intention to buy a used car and the decision to buy a new one.Tatoeba #10566767 by small_snow, translation #2413532 by AlanF_US
- 中古車Used car
- 中古本Used books
- この洋服は中古ですThis clothing is used.
- ５冊の中古本Five used books
- 彼は中古のギターを買った。He bought a used guitar.
- 中古のカメラは、見た目は綺麗でした。chuuko no kamera wa, mitame wa kirei deshita.The used camera looked clean.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Kenta and Misaki are talking about buying electronic devices at a store.
- 美咲 Misakiこの中古のパソコン、いくらですか？kono chuuko no pasokon, ikura desu ka?How much is this used computer?
- 健太 Kentaそれは、三万円ですよ。sore wa, sanman en desu yo.That one is 30,000 yen.
- 美咲 Misaki少し高いですね。sukoshi takai desu ne.That's a little expensive.
- 健太 Kentaでも、状態はとても良いですよ。demo, joutai wa totemo yoi desu yo.But the condition is very good.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
