Korean word

고전

Pronunciation

Romanizationkojeon

Meaning

  • nounclassical literature

Example

저는 고전을 좋아해요.cheo neun ko jeo neul cho a hae yo

I like classical literature.

Illustration for 고전 (classical literature)

More examples

요즘은 고전을 읽는 사람이 늘고 있어요.yo jeu meun ko jeo neul ing neun sa ra mi neul go i sseo yo

These days, more people are reading classical literature.

Core concept

A book or work from an earlier age that remains important and worth studying.

Common phrases

  • 고전을 읽다ko jeo neul ik tta

    read classical literature

  • 고전을 공부하다ko jeo neul kong bu ha da

    study classical literature

Similar words

고전문학kojeonmunhak: Literary works from past periods that have remained widely read over time.
고전작품kojeonjakpum: A book or other creative work whose historical value has long been recognized.

Definition in Korean

오래전부터 전해져 내려오며 예술적 또는 학문적 가치가 인정되는 책·문학·예술 작품 등을 가리키는 말o rae jeon bu teo cheon hae jeo nae ryeo o myeo ye sul jeok tto neun hang mun jeok ka chi ga in jeong doe neun chaek mun hak ye sul chak pum teung eul ka ri ki neun mal

Word origin

고전 (gojeon, "classical literature") comes from the Sino-Korean elements 고 (go, "old") and 전 (jeon, "classic text or canon").

Usage tips

  • The noun sense names a work, while a related verb form can describe difficulty, so sentence structure helps separate the two uses.

Other meanings

  • strugglenoun

Opposites

Related words

  • 고전문학kojeonmunhakclassical literaturenoun
  • 고전음악kojeoneumakclassical musicnoun

Word lists with this word