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昔馴染み (むかしなじみ) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Freq. Frequency Top 100,000 Meanings 1
noun
old friend ; familiar face from the past
Refers to someone you knew well in the past, often with a nostalgic or warm connotation. Used for people you haven't seen in a long time but still feel connected to.
こ
供ども
の
頃ころ
よく
遊あそ
ん
だ
。
He's an old friend of mine; we used to play together as kids.
Written forms 昔むかし 馴な 染じ み Usage 41%
Full kanji spelling; slightly more formal or literary feel.
昔むかし なじみ Usage 47%
Common mixed kanji-kana spelling; the kana part makes it easy to read.
昔むかし 馴な 染じみ Usage 13%
Abbreviated kanji spelling; less common but still seen.
Kanji 昔 once upon a time, antiquity, old times 馴 get used to, experienced, tamed Similar words 旧きゅう 友ゆう More formal and literary term for an old friend, often used in writing or speeches. 昔なじみ is warmer and more colloquial.
幼おさな なじみ Specifically a childhood friend, someone you've known since you were very young. 昔なじみ can refer to any old acquaintance, not necessarily from childhood.
Etymology Compound of 昔 (mukashi, 'old times') and なじみ (najimi, 'familiarity, acquaintance'), from the verb 馴染む (najimu, 'to become familiar'). The spelling 馴染み uses kanji for the second part, while なじみ is often written in kana.
