Japanese word

古典

Pronunciation

Romajikoten

Meaning

  • nounclassics

Example

古典を読むのは楽しいです。ko ten o yo mu no wa tano shi i de su

Reading the classics is fun.

Illustration for 古典 (classics)

More examples

図書館で古典の解説書を借りました。to sho kan de ko ten no kai setsu sho o ka ri ma shi ta

I borrowed a guide to the classics from the library.

Core concept

Refers to works from an earlier age that remain important enough to be read, studied, or admired across generations.

Common phrases

  • 古典を学ぶko ten o mana bu

    study the classics

  • 古典を現代語訳で読むko ten o gen dai go yaku de yo mu

    read the classics in a modern translation

  • 古典の知識ko ten no chi shiki

    knowledge of the classics

Similar words

名作meisaku: A work regarded as excellent, whether or not it comes from an earlier age.
名著meicho: A book widely respected for its literary or scholarly value.
古文kobun: A text written in an earlier form of the Japanese language.

Definition in Japanese

古くから伝わり、現在も価値を認められている文学や芸術などの作品。furu ku ka ra tsuta wa ri gen zai mo ka chi o mito me ra re te i ru bun gaku ya gei jutsu na do no saku hin

Word origin

The Sino-Japanese word 古典 (koten) joins 古 (ko, "old") and 典 (ten, "classic text"), giving it the meaning of an old text or work regarded as a model.

Usage tips

  • In English, the classics often means highly valued works from ancient Greece and Rome, while 古典 (koten) can include older Japanese literature and other traditional works.

Other meanings

  • classicnoun

Related words

  • 古典的kotentekiclassicalna-adjective

Word lists with this word