1.
all ages; ancient and modern; throughout history
Literary noun combining 古 (old) and 今 (now), referring to all eras from antiquity to the present. Almost always used in fixed expressions or titles rather than as a free-standing word.
Literary compound of 古 (old) + 今 (now). In modern Japanese it appears almost exclusively in set phrases and classical titles, not as a stand-alone noun.
Common expressions
- 古今東西: all times and places (everywhere, in every era)
- 古今東西を問わず: regardless of time or place
- 古今無双: unmatched in any era
- 古今和歌集: the Kokin Wakashū (10th-century poetry anthology)
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Formal and literary. Common in essays, speeches, and historical writing; rare in casual conversation, where 昔から今まで is more natural.