Writing Balance Rule: The top component should sit compactly over the bottom component, ensuring vertical alignment without letting the bottom part overpower the top.
Simplification Logic: The traditional form 舊 was simplified to 旧 by replacing the complex phonetic and semantic elements with a streamlined structure consisting of a vertical stroke and horizontal box configuration.
1. Meaning
old, former, worn with age
pastprevious
AdjectiveNeutral#time#condition#age
Sample Usage
这是我的旧手机。
Zhè shì wǒ de jiù shǒujī.
This is my old mobile phone.
旧情复燃
jiù qíng fù rán
old flames are rekindled
2. Sound
/[t͡ɕi̯oʊ̯⁵¹]/Tone: 51
旧
jiùjiu4
|
++
`(51)
=jiù
Initial Consonant
j
Type: Unaspirated Alveolo-Palatal
Sounds like: j in 'jeans' but with tongue blade closer to hard palate
Unaspirated
Airflow Tactile Test: No air puff. Lips spread wide like smiling.
Tongue & Mouth Position: Blade of the tongue touches the hard palate gently while the tip rests behind the lower teeth.
Final Rhyme
iu
Vowel Group: -i vowel group
Sounds like: -ioo / -you sound
Mouth Shape Guide: Pronounce as standalone vowel 'yo'.
Common Learner Trap: Keep vowel quality steady across all 4 tone contours.
Abbreviated Rhyme Rule: iu is short for iou, retaining the 'o' sound glide in the middle.
Tone
T4 (51)
5 → 1 (51)
4th Tone (High-Falling)
Tone Pitch & Cadence: Tone 4 starts high and plunges straight down like an emphatic 'No!' or a sigh of command.
Sandhi: When followed by another 4th tone syllable, the tone 4 pitch drops slightly shorter and sharper.
👂
Listening trap: Confusing the 4th tone drop of jiù with the 3rd tone dip of jiǔ (wine). Make sure it drops sharply and does not dip and rise.
👋
Physical Tone Gesture: A swift, sharp chop downward with your hand, mirroring an abrupt drop in pitch from a high starting point.
3. Writing
Topology: Top-bottom · Strokes: 5 strokes
Writing Balance Rule: The top component should sit compactly over the bottom component, ensuring vertical alignment without letting the bottom part overpower the top.
Simplification Logic: The traditional form 舊 was simplified to 旧 by replacing the complex phonetic and semantic elements with a streamlined structure consisting of a vertical stroke and horizontal box configuration.
4. Components
Radical臼 · mortar radical (mortar)
Semantic Clue (形旁):臼 (Indicates a deep vessel or worn container)
The character features a top component sitting over the mortar radical (臼), symbolizing something that has been used so long it sits down in the mortar of time.
丨 vertical stroke
臼 mortar / aged vessel
5. History
Liushu category: Phono-semantic (形声)
Origin: Originally depicted an owl or an ancient container. In oracle bone script, it evolved to represent a mortar or something aged and worn through long use.
Semantic Evolution: From an old container or mortar, the meaning broadened to anything old, worn out, or former, serving as the exact antonym of 新 (new).
Often contrasted directly with 新 (xīn) in classical and modern Chinese literature.
6. Sinosphere
🇻🇳
Sino-Vietnamese
cự
The entering/sharp tone corresponds to Vietnamese heavy or falling tones.
🇯🇵
Kanji (Japanese)
On: キュウ (kyū) / Kun: ふる.い (furu.i)
🇰🇷
Hanja (Korean)
구
Sound Shift Bridge: Japanese On'yomi 'kyū' echoes the ancient Chinese pronunciation of jiù.
7. Memory
Vivid Mnemonic Story
An OLD (jiù) wizard uses a stone MORTAR (臼) to grind up memories of the past.
Phonetic Family (形声字家族)
臼
jiùmortarBase component representing a mortar vessel.
旧
jiùoldStreamlined modern form meaning old or former.
Lookalikes & Traps (形近字)
日(rì)
日 means sun and has horizontal lines inside; 旧 has a vertical hook stroke and connects to the mortar radical.
白(bái)
白 means white and features a top dot; 旧 lacks the top dot and uses a vertical stroke structure.
8. Mastery
Active Recall Challenge
这件衣服太[___]了，我想买一件新的。
Clue: jiù
Common Learner Pitfall
Confusing 旧 (jiù - old) with 见 (jiàn - to see) due to the superficial similarity in shape.
Memory Prompts
Recognition: What does 旧 mean and how is it pronounced with tones?
Production: How do you write the character for 'old' (former/worn out) in simplified Chinese?
Real-World Video Context
Watch authentic native speakers pronounce and explain this word in real-world YouTube videos.
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旧jiùold
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