How to Say "Used To" in Japanese

かつて

katsute[ka̠t͡sɨte̞]

The English phrase "used to" can be translated into Japanese as かつて (katsute).

Meaning: accustomed to (adj)

Which one should you use?

While かつて can mean "once" in the sense of 'one time', in the context of 'used to', it specifically emphasizes a past state that has since changed.

The form かつての is the attributive form used to modify a noun directly.

katsute

To express being 'used to' something in the sense of 'accustomed to', Japanese uses the phrase 慣れている narete-iru. This is fundamentally different from かつて, which only refers to time.
The word かつて can be paired with ない to create the phrase かつてない katsutenai. This means 'unprecedented' or 'never before seen', turning a word about the past into a way to describe a unique present.
In Japanese storytelling, かつて is a classic opening word for myths or legends, functioning much like 'Once upon a time' in English folklore.

かつてはここに橋があった。
There used to be a bridge here.
This sentence is useful for showing that a structure existed in a location in the past using かつて.
Tatoeba #226334 by bunbuku, translation #63676 by CK
私はもうかつての私ではない。
I'm not what I used to be.
This sentence is useful for expressing personal change using かつて.
Tatoeba #2228463 by tommy_san, translation #259009 by CK
かつての彼は寡黙な男だった。
He used to be a quiet man.
This sentence is useful for describing a person's former character using かつて.
Tatoeba #2309055 by bunbuku, translation #300570 by CK
私はかつてピアノを弾いていました。
I used to play the piano.
私は以前に東京に住んでいました。
I used to live in Tokyo.
以前はよく海に行ったんです。
I used to go to the sea often.
35 more sentences on Tatoeba

Kenta and Misaki are talking about their hometown.

健太 Kenta

ここはかつての静かな村だったね。
Koko wa katsute no shizuka na mura datta ne.
This place used to be a quiet village, didn't it?
美咲 Misaki

うん、今はとても賑やかになったね。
Un, ima wa totemo nigiyaka ni natta ne.
Yeah, it's become very crowded now.
健太 Kenta

かつての風景が懐かしいよ。
Katsute no fuukei ga natsukashii yo.
I miss the scenery as it used to be.
美咲 Misaki

私も。たくさん変わったね。
Watashi mo. Takusan kawatta ne.
Me too. A lot has changed.

Sources

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