atarashii-vs-furui

Have you ever called something “old” in Japanese and gotten a puzzled look in return? English speakers often reach for ふるい (furui) to describe anything old — but that is not always correct. Japanese draws a clear line between objects that are old and people who are old, and using ふるい for a person can sound rude or just plain wrong. Meanwhile, あたらしい (atarashii) is one of the most flexible adjectives in the language, covering everything from a brand-new phone to a fresh start in life. This guide breaks down exactly when to use each word — and when not to.

At a Glance: あたらしい vs. ふるい

あたらしい (新しい) — New, Fresh, and Recent

あたらしい means “new” in the sense of recently created, recently acquired, or just starting to exist. It is an い-adjective, so it conjugates with the standard い-adjective rules. The kanji is 新しい — note that only 新 is the kanji character; the しい ending is written in hiragana.

あたらしい is used for both concrete things (a new phone, a new house) and abstract things (a new life, a new idea, a new chapter). This makes it one of the most versatile adjectives at the N5 level.

Example 1 — concrete object:

新しいスマホを買った。
Atarashii sumaho wo katta.
I bought a new smartphone.

Example 2 — abstract use:

新しい生活が始まる。
Atarashii seikatsu ga hajimaru.
A new life is beginning.

Example 3 — news / information:

何か新しい情報はありますか？
Nanika atarashii jouhou wa arimasu ka?
Is there any new information?

ふるい (古い) — Old, Aged, and Worn

ふるい means “old” in the sense of having existed for a long time, being worn, outdated, or used. The kanji is 古い. Like あたらしい, it is a standard い-adjective.

The most important restriction: ふるい is not used for people’s age. If you want to say someone is old (in terms of age), use としをとった (toshi wo totta — “has aged”) or 年上 (toshiue — “older”). Calling a person ふるい would imply they are worn out like an old object — very impolite.

Example 1 — object:

この車はとても古い。
Kono kuruma wa totemo furui.
This car is very old.

Example 2 — building:

古い神社に行ってきました。
Furui jinja ni itte kimashita.
I visited an old shrine.

Example 3 — habit / mindset:

古い考え方を変えるべきだ。
Furui kangaekata wo kaeru beki da.
We should change old ways of thinking.

The Critical Rule: Do Not Use ふるい for People

This is the most common mistake English speakers make. In English, “old” works for both objects and people. In Japanese, ふるい only applies to non-living things or abstract concepts. Here is what to use for people instead:

Incorrect: 彼女は古い。(Kanojo wa furui.) — This sounds like “She is worn out/outdated” — very rude.
Correct: 彼女は年上だ。(Kanojo wa toshiue da.) — She is older.

Side-by-Side Comparison: あたらしい vs. ふるい

Conjugation Guide

Both words follow standard い-adjective conjugation. Here is a quick reference:

Example using past form:

新しかったのに、もう壊れた。
Atarashikatta noni, mou kowareta.
It was new, but it already broke.

Decision Flowchart: Which Word to Use?

Are you describing something as new or old?
        |
        v
Is it a PERSON (age)?
   |           |
  YES          NO
   |           |
   v           v
Do NOT use    Is it NEW/recent?
あたらしい       |           |
or ふるい.      YES          NO
Use 年上,       |            |
お年寄り,        v            v
としをとった  あたらしい     ふるい
etc.          (新しい)      (古い)

Quick Quiz — Test Yourself!

Choose あたらしい or ふるい (or neither) for each sentence.

Q1. This dictionary is 30 years old.
このじしょは30年＿＿＿。
Kono jisho wa sanjuunen ___.

Answer: ふるい (furui) — 古い
Reason: A dictionary is an object that has existed for 30 years, so ふるい is correct.

Q2. I want to start a new chapter in my life.
人生の＿＿＿ページを始めたい。
Jinsei no ___ peeji wo hajimetai.

Answer: あたらしい (atarashii) — 新しい
Reason: Even though “page” is abstract here, it refers to something fresh and just beginning.

Q3. My grandfather is old.
おじいさんは＿＿＿。

Answer: Neither ふるい nor あたらしい. Use: としをとっている (toshi wo totte iru) or お年寄りだ (otoshiyori da).
Reason: ふるい cannot describe a person’s age. Using it for a person is unnatural and potentially offensive.

Q4. Do you have any new news?
何か＿＿＿ニュースはありますか？
Nanika ___ nyuusu wa arimasu ka?

Answer: あたらしい (atarashii) — 新しい
Reason: News is fresh / recent information, so あたらしい is the natural choice.

Q5. I sold my old car and bought a new one.
＿＿＿車を売って、＿＿＿車を買った。
___ kuruma wo utte, ___ kuruma wo katta.

Answer: 古い車を売って、新しい車を買った。 (Furui kuruma wo utte, atarashii kuruma wo katta.)
Reason: The first blank describes an existing, used car (ふるい), and the second describes a recently purchased car (あたらしい).

Related Articles

Want to explore more “old vs. past” vocabulary in Japanese? Check out our guide on ふるい vs. むかし — two words that both relate to the past but in very different ways:

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Also, once you have mastered new vs. old, practice with another essential opposite pair — いい vs. わるい (good vs. bad):

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