復元

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 復元(ふくげん) means restoring an original appearance or state.
• Basic usage: It describes rebuilding a gate from old plans or reconstructing an excavated object's original form as a model.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Reconstruction and repair
  • 復元 focuses on restoring the original form; 修理 focuses on fixing damage or a fault so something can be used again.
  • Recreating the original form in a model can also be called 復元.