How to Write 昔 (xī) — Meaning “Former / Past / Long ago”

Picture a calendar where you cross off twenty days – the crossed lines above the sun (日) represent counting twenty sunsets. This visual reminds you that 昔 means "long ago" or "the past."

Write the top part first: two horizontal strokes from left to right, then a vertical stroke that cuts through both horizontals. Then write 日 below, making it slightly narrower than the top. A common mistake is making the vertical stroke too short or not centered.

旨 has 日 on top with a spoon-like 匕 below, and means "purpose" or "delicious." 早 has 日 on top with 十 below, meaning "morning." 昔 has 廿 on top and 日 below, meaning "past." The order of components is key: 昔 is the only one with the double-stroke top.

昔 appears mostly in formal or literary words like 昔日 (former days) and 往昔 (the past). You will see it in poetry, historical writing, or idioms, but it is rarely used alone in everyday speech. It helps express a contrast with the present, such as in 今昔对比 (comparing past and present).

Common words containing 昔 include: 昔日 (xī rì) — Former days / The past; 往昔 (wǎng xī) — the past; olden days; 今昔 (jīn xī) — Past and present..