Japanese symbol for “oldest”
最古
さいこ
Romaji: saiko
the oldest; the earliest
In Japanese, oldest is 最古, read さいこ (saiko).
Before using these characters for a tattoo, check them with a native speaker. Dictionary words often have several meanings, and the right choice depends on context.
Meanings
- adj-no, n the oldest; the earliest
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “oldest”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 最長 | さいちょう saichou | oldest |
| 最年長 | さいねんちょう sainenchou | eldest; oldest |
| 最高齢 | さいこうれい saikourei | oldest; most advanced age |
| 一番上 | いちばんうえ ichiban'ue | highest; uppermost; topmost |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 最近 | さいきん saikin | recently; lately; these days |
| 最後 | さいご saigo | end; conclusion |
| 最初 | さいしょ saisho | beginning; outset; first |
| 最高 | さいこう saikou | best; supreme; wonderful |
| 最終 | さいしゅう saishuu | last; final; closing |
| 最大 | さいだい saidai | biggest; greatest; largest |
| 古い | ふるい furui | old; aged; ancient |
| 古代 | こだい kodai | ancient times; distant past; antiquity |
Data: JMdict (CC BY-SA 4.0); KANJIDIC2 (CC BY-SA 4.0); KanjiVG (CC BY-SA 3.0); wordfreq (CC BY-SA 4.0 (data)). Retrieved 2026-10-22.