1.
secondhand goods; used articles
Previously owned items that are resold. A legal and commercial term covering anything from used clothing to electronics.
古物を売る。
To sell secondhand goods.
古物商の許可を取った。
I obtained a secondhand dealer's license.
このアプリでは個人でも古物の売買ができる。
With this app, even individuals can buy and sell used goods.
2.
antiques; curios
Old objects valued for their age, craftsmanship, or historical significance. Overlaps with sense 1 but emphasizes the collectible or aesthetic value.
珍しい古物を集める。
To collect rare antiques.
蔵の中から貴重な古物が見つかった。
Valuable antiques were found inside the storehouse.
古物市で江戸時代の陶器を手に入れた。
I got my hands on Edo-period pottery at an antiques market.
Composed of 古 (old) and 物 (thing, object). In everyday use, 古物 straddles two domains: the legal/commercial world of secondhand trading and the cultural world of antique collecting.
In Japan, anyone who buys and sells used goods commercially must hold a 古物商許可証 (secondhand dealer's permit) under the 古物営業法 (Secondhand Articles Dealer Act). This makes the word common in business and legal contexts.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 古物商: secondhand dealer; antique dealer
- 古物市: antiques market; flea market for used goods
- 古物市場: secondhand goods market
- 古物の売買: buying and selling of used goods
- 古物営業: secondhand goods business
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 中古品: secondhand item — more everyday, consumer-oriented term for used goods
- 骨董品: antique — emphasizes age and artistic/collectible value more than 古物
- 廃品: discarded goods, junk — items at the end of their useful life, not for resale as-is