古臭い
ふるくさい
i-adjective
old-fashioned; outdated; stale
Conjugation
| Affirmative | Negative | |
|---|---|---|
| Present | 古臭い | 古臭くない |
| Past | 古臭かった | 古臭くなかった |
| て form | 古臭くて | 古臭くなくて |
| Adverbial | 古臭く | — |
| Conditional ば | 古臭ければ | 古臭くなければ |
| Conditional たら | 古臭かったら | 古臭くなかったら |
1.
old-fashioned; outdated; antiquated
Describes something that feels out of date, behind the times, or no longer in style. Carries a negative connotation — the speaker finds the thing undesirably old.
そのデザインは古臭い。
That design is old-fashioned.
古臭い考え方を変えたほうがいい。
You should change your outdated way of thinking.
この映画はストーリーが古臭くて、あまり楽しめなかった。
The movie's story was so outdated that I couldn't really enjoy it.
2.
stale; musty
Describes a smell or atmosphere that feels stagnant or old, as if something has been sitting for too long.
部屋に古臭いにおいがする。
The room smells musty.
押し入れを開けると古臭い空気が漂ってきた。
When I opened the closet, a stale smell drifted out.
何年も使っていない倉庫は、古臭い匂いが染みついている。
A warehouse that hasn't been used for years has a musty smell soaked into it.
USAGE:
古臭い is an i-adjective. It always carries a negative nuance — unlike 古い, which can be neutral or even positive (e.g., for antiques), 古臭い implies the speaker finds the oldness undesirable.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 古臭い考え (outdated thinking)
- 古臭いデザイン (old-fashioned design)
- 古臭い匂い (musty smell)
SIMILAR WORDS:
古い simply means "old" and is neutral. 時代遅れ means "behind the times" and focuses more on being out of step with the current era. 古臭い is more colloquial and visceral.