旧
jiù · HSK 3
old
📜 旧 = 1 (一) + day (日); a day already counted, hence old or former
The character stacks 丨 over 日 (sun/day), read as a tally over a day — something already logged, so it belongs to bygone times. Sound jiù also matches 久 (long time), reinforcing the aged sense.
旧 — 丨 vertical stroke + 日 sun/day
旧 is the simplified form of 舊, which originally depicted an owl (萑) perched on a nest (臼) and was borrowed phonetically to mean 'old' or 'former.' The modern simplified shape combines 丨 with 日 (sun/day), suggesting days gone by. Today it means 'old,' 'former,' or 'used.'