阪

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: Spelling: 阪. Reading: さか. Core meaning: slope; hill.
• Basic usage: Representative examples: 古文の授業で阪が坂の古い表記として使われる例を読んだ / 物語の巻物には険しい阪を越えたと記されていた.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Historical spelling
  • Here 阪 is a historical spelling used with the slope meaning of 坂 in older texts. Distinguish the character encountered in historical material from the usual modern spelling for a slope.