Meaning of 古典
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- classical
How to use 古典
古典 describes art, music, literature, or styles that come from an earlier tradition and are seen as models. It often comes before a noun, sometimes with 的. 我喜欢听古典音乐。(Wǒ xǐhuan tīng gǔdiǎn yīnyuè.) I like listening to classical music.
古 (gǔ) means old or ancient, and 典 (diǎn) means a standard or model, as in 字典 (zìdiǎn) and 经典 (jīngdiǎn). Put them together and you get old works that became the standard: classical.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 古典 and 古老 (gǔlǎo). 古老 just means very old, like an old city or custom. 古典 means classical in style or tradition, so say 古典音乐, not 古老音乐.
古典 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
古 gǔ · ancient · 5 strokes
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- 3
- 4
- 5
典 diǎn · law · 8 strokes
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- 8
Related words
Words that share a character with 古典.
| 字典 | zìdiǎn | Chinese character dictionary (containing entries for single characters, contrasted with a |
| 词典 | cídiǎn | dictionary |
| 古代 | gǔdài | ancient times |
| 经典 | jīngdiǎn | the classics; scriptures |
| 典型 | diǎnxíng | model; typical case |
| 古老 | gǔlǎo | ancient; old |
| 典礼 | diǎnlǐ | ceremony; celebration |
| 辞典 | cídiǎn | variant of 詞典|词典[ci2 dian3] |
| 古怪 | gǔguài | strange; weird |
| 古董 | gǔdǒng | curio; antique |
| 庆典 | qìngdiǎn | celebration |
| 典范 | diǎnfàn | model; example |
Questions about 古典
What does 古典 mean?
古典 (gǔdiǎn) means "classical" and is used as a adjective.
How do you write 古典?
古典 is made of 2 characters: 古 (5 strokes), 典 (8 strokes). That is 13 strokes in total.
Is 古典 an HSK word?
Yes. 古典 is on the HSK 6 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 古典 and 经典?
古典 means classical, belonging to an older tradition. 经典 (jīngdiǎn) means a classic, something widely seen as the best of its kind, and it can be modern. A new film can be 经典 but not 古典.
How do you say classical Chinese literature or Chinese classical poetry?
Classical literature is 古典文学 (gǔdiǎn wénxué). Classical Chinese poetry is often called 古典诗词 (gǔdiǎn shīcí). The famous four great novels are called 四大古典名著 (sì dà gǔdiǎn míngzhù).