昔

昔

"Long ago" or "in the past."

Here, 昔 is used to refer to a general time in the past, establishing the temporal setting for a habitual action that occurred prior.

昔、私は毎日公園へ行きました。

In the past, I used to go to the park every day.

Here, 昔 is used to reference a historical fact about an ancient period, explaining a transformation over time.

この地域は昔、海の底だったそうです。

It is said that this region was once at the bottom of the sea.

In this context, 昔々 is used in storytelling to open a narrative, akin to 'Once upon a time' in English.

昔々、あるところにおじいさんとおばあさんが住んでいました。

Once upon a time, in a certain place, there lived an old man and an old woman.