旧
old (object, not person)
jiù
What does 旧 mean?
旧 (jiù) is an adjective meaning 'old' in the sense of 'used / worn / former,' applied to objects, ideas, or relationships — NEVER to a person's age. 旧衣服 (jiù yīfu) = old clothes (used, worn); 旧书 (jiù shū) = an old / used book; 旧朋友 (jiù péngyou) = an old friend (from before, longstanding). It contrasts with 新 (xīn, new).
The classic English-speaker mistake is saying 旧人 (jiùrén) for 'an old person' — wrong; use 老人 (lǎorén) for an elderly person. Conversely, calling a building 老 is fine ('venerable, of long standing'), but a phone or shoes are 旧, not 老. Think of it this way: 旧 = has been around and shows it
Character breakdown
old (in usage); former; worn
Memory hook: 旧 looks like 日 (sun / day) leaning against 丨 — like an old wall that has weathered many days.
Example sentences
这件衣服已经很旧了。
Zhè jiàn yīfu yǐjīng hěn jiù le.
This piece of clothing is already very old / worn.
neutral
我的手机太旧了，想换新的。
Wǒ de shǒujī tài jiù le, xiǎng huàn xīn de.
My phone is too old, I want to change to a new one.
spoken
他喜欢买旧书。
Tā xǐhuan mǎi jiù shū.
He likes to buy used books.
neutral
这是一辆旧自行车。
Zhè shì yí liàng jiù zìxíngchē.
This is an old bicycle.
neutral
新的不来，旧的不去。
Xīn de bù lái, jiù de bú qù.
The new won't come until the old goes (saying: out with the old, in with the new).
written, idiomatic
Common phrases with 旧
Synonyms
老 means 'old' in the sense of age, longstanding, or venerable — used for people (老人 = elderly person), longstanding things (老朋友 = old friend, 老房子 = old / venerable house). 旧 means 'used / worn out' and is only for objects. Don't say 旧人 for an old person.
过时 means 'outdated / out of fashion.' Stronger than 旧 — implies something is no longer current or stylish. A phone can be 旧 (worn) without being 过时 (outdated).
Don't confuse 旧 with
就 is a high-frequency adverb meaning 'then / right away / precisely.' Same pronunciation as 旧 but completely different function. Context makes it obvious: 旧 modifies nouns; 就 modifies verbs or links clauses.
老 is for people's age and longstanding things; 旧 is for worn / used objects. The same friend can be 老朋友 (warmly: a long-time friend) but their old jacket is 旧外套, not 老外套.