古典

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 古典(こてん) denotes a long-established classic or a work regarded as a model in its field.
• Basic usage: It describes reading Japanese classics in their original form rather than in translation during class.
  • 授業で日本の古典を原文で読んだ。

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Scope compared with 古文
  • 古文(こぶん) focuses on old texts or writing in an older form of the language. 古典 also extends beyond literature, as in 映画の古典 for a classic film.