Synonym Comparison
The Nuance Difference: "古い" vs "美味しい"
Master the exact conceptual boundary between these Japanese terms.
Japanese Term A
古い
ふるい (furui)
N5 / CEFR Syllabus
VS
Japanese Term B
美味しい
おいしい (oishii)
N5 / CEFR Syllabus
Nuance Contrast & Social Differences
In Japanese, both 古い and 美味しい are often translated to English but have distinct usages.
古い (ふるい (furui)) represents "old (not for people), aged" (Level: N5) and typically represents An い-adjective used for things that are old or worn out. It is NOT used for people.
On the other hand, 美味しい (おいしい (oishii)) translates to "delicious, tasty" (Level: N5) and is used for An い-adjective used to describe food or drink that tastes good. A common way to express enjoyment of food.. Mixing these up can sound unnatural to native Japanese speakers!
Bilingual Sentence for "古い"
この本は古いですが、とても面白いです。
This book is old, but very interesting.
Bilingual Sentence for "美味しい"
このケーキはとても美味しいです。
This cake is very delicious.
Nuance Mastery Quiz
Which Japanese word perfectly fits this blank space?
Fill in the blank: "この本は ＿＿＿ ですが、とても面白いです。" (Meaning: "This book is old, but very interesting.")
🎉 Correct Answer!
Remember: "古い" fits here because it represents "old (not for people), aged" in the context: "This book is old, but very interesting.".