古本(ふるほん)

ふるほん
noun
used book; secondhand book
1. used book; secondhand book
A book that has been previously owned. Sold at used bookstores, flea markets, and online platforms.
古本屋(ふるほんや)で珍(めずら)しい本(ほん)を見(み)つけた。
I found a rare book at a used bookstore.
教科書(きょうかしょ)は古本(ふるほん)で買(か)えば安(やす)い。
Textbooks are cheap if you buy them used.
引(ひ)っ越(こ)しの前(まえ)に読(よ)まなくなった本(ほん)を古本屋(ふるほんや)に売(う)った。
Before moving, I sold books I no longer read to a used bookstore.

Japan has a rich used-book culture. 神保町(じんぼうちょう) in Tokyo is famous worldwide as a district packed with 古本屋(ふるほんや). The chain ブックオフ (Book Off) is Japan's largest used-book retailer.

Common collocations

Also read as こほん in more formal or literary contexts, but ふるほん is the everyday reading.

Related Words

Compare: 古着(ふるぎ) (used clothing)
general
Added 2026.3.3 18:54 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:01
14500/14745_furuhon