The 古 (Old) & 去 (Past) Kanji Family: Mastering 古 (Old), 去 (Past/Leave 去年), 孝 & 苦 (Bitter)
Stack 十 (Ten) on top of 口 (Mouth) and you get 古 (Old — furui / ko). Replace the square mouth with a triangle (厶) under 土 (Earth) and you get 去 (Past / Leave — as in 去年 kyonen 'last year')!
Look at 古 (Old — ko) and 去 (Past / Gone — ko / kyo): not only do both start with a cross on top, they even share the On'yomi reading コ (ko) (as in 過去 kako — 'the past')!
Quick Comparison: 古 (Old) vs. 去 (Past) vs. 孝 (Filial Piety) vs. 苦 (Suffering)
Compare 古, 去, 孝, and 苦 in the table below:
| Kanji & Meaning | Primary Readings (Bold = Primary) | Shibashi Visual Mnemonic Hook | Common Compound Word |
|---|---|---|---|
| 古 — Old | On: こ Kun: ふる |
十 (Ten generations / cross) over 口 (Square Mouth / stone) = OLD (furui / ko). | 中古 (ちゅうこ) — used, second-hand, old |
| 去 — Past | On: きょ, こ Kun: さ |
土 (Earth) over 厶 (a buried triangle / person stepping away) = PAST / GONE / LEAVE (saru / ko / kyo, as in 去年 kyonen). | 去年 (きょねん) — last year |
| 孝 — Filial Piety | On: こう Kun: — |
耂 (Old Elder with diagonal cane) over 子 (Child supporting from below) = FILIAL PIETY / RESPECT FOR PARENTS (kō). | 孝行 (こうこう) — filial piety; devotion to... |
| 苦 — Suffering | On: く Kun: くる, にが |
艹 (Herbs/Grass) over 古 (Old) = chewing old, bitter herbs = BITTER / PAINFUL / SUFFER (kurushii / nigai / ku). | 苦い (にがい) — bitter |
Side-by-Side Illustrated Kanji Flashcards (Tap Readings for Audio)
Compare the custom Shibashi artwork for 古 (Old) and 去 (Past) below. Notice how each illustration embeds both the English meaning and the primary Japanese reading directly into the scene, and tap any reading to hear native pronunciation:
Step-by-Step Visual Breakdown & Radical Rules
Look at the bottom half of each character to tell them apart:
1. 古 (Old) — Mnemonic Story & Readings
On'yomi: こ | Kun'yomi: ふる
Shibashi Visual Story: “For some reason, this old tombstone of a very cold (こ) person is full of rubies (ふる).” Key visual distinction: 十 (Ten generations / cross) over 口 (Square Mouth / stone) = OLD (furui / ko).
2. 去 (Past) — Mnemonic Story & Readings
On'yomi: きょ, こ | Kun'yomi: さ
Shibashi Visual Story: “it’s not common (こ) knowledge, but in the past, in Kyoto (きょ), samurais (さ) were buried with their pianos...” Key visual distinction: 土 (Earth) over 厶 (a buried triangle / person stepping away) = PAST / GONE / LEAVE (saru / ko / kyo, as in 去年 kyonen).
3. 孝 (Filial Piety) — Mnemonic Story & Readings
On'yomi: こう | Kun'yomi: —
Shibashi Visual Story: “The little boy with his pet koala (こう) has a lot of respect/filial piety towards his grandpa.” Key visual distinction: 耂 (Old Elder with diagonal cane) over 子 (Child supporting from below) = FILIAL PIETY / RESPECT FOR PARENTS (kō).
- 孝行 (こうこう): filial piety; devotion to parents
- 親孝行 (おやこうこう): filial piety; devotion to parents
- 不孝 (ふこう): lack of filial piety; undutifulness to parents
4. 苦 (Suffering) — Mnemonic Story & Readings
On'yomi: く | Kun'yomi: くる, にが
Shibashi Visual Story: “Even with cool ruby (く or くる) flowers planted by a lady with knee guards (にが), if there is a grave, there is suffering...” Key visual distinction: 艹 (Herbs/Grass) over 古 (Old) = chewing old, bitter herbs = BITTER / PAINFUL / SUFFER (kurushii / nigai / ku).
- 苦い (にがい): bitter
- 苦手 (にがて): poor (at), weak (in), dislike (of)
- 苦しむ (くるしむ): to suffer, to groan, to be worried
Essential Japanese Vocabulary Words Using 古 / 去 / 孝 / 苦
Once you can recognize 古 (Old) and 去 (Past) and 孝 (Filial Piety) individually, lock them into your active reading vocabulary with these high-frequency Japanese words from the Shibashi app:
| Japanese Word | Hiragana Reading | English Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 中古 | ちゅうこ | used, second-hand, old | JLPT |
| 古い | ふるい | old (not used for people) | JLPT |
| 去年 | きょねん | last year | JLPT |
| 去る | さる | to leave, to go away | JLPT |
| 孝行 | こうこう | filial piety; devotion to parents | JLPT |
| 親孝行 | おやこうこう | filial piety; devotion to parents | JLPT |
| 不孝 | ふこう | lack of filial piety; undutifulness to parents | JLPT |
| 苦い | にがい | bitter | JLPT |
5-Second Memory Summary: How to Never Mix Up 古 & 去 & 孝 Again
十 + square 口 (Mouth) = 古 (Old — furui / ko), and putting 艹 (Herbs) on top of 古 gives 苦 (Bitter / Hard — kurushii / nigai). 土 + triangle 厶 = 去 (Past / Leave — 去年 kyonen 'last year', 過去 kako 'the past')!
