昔日

• Pinyin: xī rì
• Hanzi breakdown: 昔 = 艹 + 日 (abbreviated flood/many + sun — originally depicted floods of the past, meaning former times); 日 = sun, day

Meaning

Former days; the past; days of old. Refers to a time in the past, often with a sense of nostalgia or contrast with the present.

Used in formal writing, literary prose, and historical discourse to evoke a previous era or former state. Slightly more literary than 过去 or 以前. Often used in comparative contexts: 昔日的X如今已Y (the X of former days has now become Y).

Examples

1. 这座昔日繁华的工业城市，如今正经历着艰难的转型与重生。 This once-thriving industrial city is now undergoing a difficult transition and renewal.
2. 昔日的同窗好友，各奔前程数十年后在同学会上重逢，感慨万千。 Friends who were classmates years ago reunited at a class reunion after decades apart, filled with emotion.
3. 昔日的荒野如今已成为绿意盎然的国家公园，吸引着来自各地的游客。 What was once wilderness has now become a lush national park, drawing visitors from all over.

Usage Guide

Context: literature, history, journalism, nostalgia, comparative description

Tone: nostalgic

Do Say

• 昔日黄土高原沟壑纵横、植被稀疏，如今在退耕还林推动下，绿色覆盖率明显提高，农民收入也改善了。(In the past, the Loess Plateau had gullies everywhere and sparse vegetation; now, driven by the return-farmland-to-forest policy, green coverage has risen noticeably and farmers' incomes have improved.)
• 研究近代上海变迁的历史学家说，昔日外滩的殖民金融建筑群，如今成了展示城市历史深度和文化自信的重要地标。(Historians studying modern Shanghai say that the colonial financial buildings on the former Bund have now become important landmarks showing the city's historical depth and cultural confidence.)

Don't Say

• 昔日 in casual everyday speech for 'before' or 'in the past' — use 以前 or 过去; 昔日 is a literary or formal term with a nostalgic or historical resonance and sounds unnatural in colloquial contexts

Origin & History

昔 (former times, the past — an ancient character depicting the sun over a flood, suggesting long-ago events) + 日 (day, days) — former days; days of old

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal