古本屋(ふるほんや)

ふるほんや
noun
secondhand bookshop
1. secondhand bookshop, used bookstore
A shop that buys and sells used books. Also refers to the owner or operator of such a shop.
古本屋(ふるほんや)で掘(ほ)り出(だ)し物(もの)を見(み)つけた。
I found a great bargain at a used bookstore.
駅前(えきまえ)に小(ちい)さな古本屋(ふるほんや)がある。
There is a small secondhand bookshop in front of the station.
神保町(じんぼうちょう)は古本屋(ふるほんや)が集(あつ)まる街(まち)として有名(ゆうめい)だ。
Jimbocho is famous as a district where used bookstores are concentrated.

古本屋(ふるほんや) can refer to both the shop itself and the person who runs it. It is the everyday term for a used bookstore.

WORD FORMATION:
古本(ふるほん) (used book) + 屋(や) (shop/dealer). The 屋(や) suffix commonly turns a product into a shop name.

RELATED WORDS:

  • 古本(ふるほん): used book, secondhand book
  • 本屋(ほんや): bookstore (new books)
  • 古書店(こしょてん): antiquarian bookshop (more formal/literary, often specializing in rare books)
  • 古書(こしょ): old/rare book (more literary than 古本(ふるほん))

CULTURAL NOTE:
神保町(じんぼうちょう) in Tokyo is Japan's most famous district for 古本屋(ふるほんや), with hundreds of shops. ブックオフ (Book Off) is a well-known chain of used bookstores found throughout Japan.

COMMON EXPRESSIONS:

  • 古本屋(ふるほんや)を回(まわ)る: to visit various used bookstores
  • 古本屋(ふるほんや)で見(み)つける: to find (something) at a used bookstore
general
Added 2026.3.12 10:25 · Revised 2026.3.27 8:41
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