Did you know that in the past there were only 4 JLPT Levels? N4 to N1. In July 2010, the JLPT was revised to meet the increasing demand and changing environment. This means that if you look up past exam content for N4 now, it may not be fully suitable for studying today's N4. Speaking of the past, the word 過去(かこ) refers to something that has already happened or is behind us.

私たちは未来(みらい)のために過去(かこ)を学ぶ。

Past experiences can be helpful.

過去(かこ)から逃(にげ)られない。

I couldn't run from the past.

過去(かこ)3年間(ねんかん)、仕事(しごと)がありませんでした。

For the last 3 years, I haven't had a job.

過去(かこ)のテレビ番組(ばんぐみ)を見るには？

How can I watch past TV shows?

When these kanji come together as 「過去(かこ)」, they reflect the idea of something that has passed or is in the past. The kanji 過 suggests moving beyond something, and 去 emphasizes "past" or "behind" as you may recognise from 「去年(きょねん), meaning "last year".

The word「以前(いぜん)」also refers to the past, but it is often used to describe something that happened before a certain point in time. For example, 「以前(いぜん)の仕事(しごと)」means "my previous job." It can be used for both recent and distant past events.

On the other hand, 「過去(かこ)」 is a broader term for the past, often implying a more distant time frame or general events that have already happened. You will see 「以前(いぜん)」 in more formal or historical contexts, like when discussing the past in history or literature.

Both 「過去(かこ)」 and 「昔(むかし)」 mean "the past," but they are used differently.

昔(むかし) is used in casual or nostalgic contexts to evoke a sense of time far removed from the present.

昔(むかし)は家(うち)にテレビがなかった。

A long time ago, houses didn’t have TVs.

Whereas 過去(かこ) is often used in formal or neutral contexts to discuss specific past periods or historical events.

過去(かこ)10年間(ねんかん)で多く(おおく)の進歩(しんぽ)があった。

In the past 10 years, there has been a lot of progress.

「過去(かこ)」 is a commonly used term in Japanese that translates to "past." It often functions as a prefix in various compound words and phrases to provide context about events or conditions that occurred previously. For example:

• 「過去(かこ)の試験(しけん)」- past exam.
• 「過去(かこ)の天気(てんき)」- past weather.
• 「過去(かこ)の台風(たいふう)」- past typhoons.
• 「過去(かこ)のこと」- about the past (general)

The prefix 「過去(かこ)」 is versatile and provides a sense of time frame or historical reference when describing situations, making it a useful component in both formal and conversational Japanese.