| 经典 | jīng diǎn | the classics / scriptures / classical / classic (example, case etc) / typical |   |
| 教科书式 | jiào kē shū shì | (neologism c. 2018) worthy of being used as a textbook example / exemplary / classic / quintessential | |
| 经传 | jīng zhuàn | classic work (esp. Confucian classics) | |
| 经书 | jīng shū | classic books in Confucianism / scriptures / sutras | |
| 书馆 | shū guǎn | teashop with performance by 評書|评书 / story tellers / (attached to name of publishing houses) / (in former times) private school / library (of classic texts) | |
| 人之初 | rén zhī chū | man at birth (is fundamentally good in nature) / the first line of Three character classic 三字經|三字经[San1 zi4 jing1] | |
| 礼记 | Lǐ jì | Classic of Rites | |
| 四大名著 | sì dà míng zhù | the Four Classic Novels of Chinese literature, namely: A Dream of Red Mansions 紅樓夢|红楼梦[Hong2 lou2 Meng4], Romance of Three Kingdoms 三國演義|三国演义[San1 guo2 Yan3 yi4], Water Margin 水滸傳|水浒传[Shui3 hu3 Zhuan4], Journey to the West 西遊記|西游记[Xi1 you2 Ji4] | |
| 老爷车 | lǎo ye chē | classic car | |
| 五经 | Wǔ jīng | the Five Classics of Confucianism, namely: the Book of Songs 詩經|诗经[Shi1 jing1], the Book of History 書經|书经[Shu1 jing1], the Classic of Rites 禮記|礼记[Li3 ji4], the Book of Changes 易經|易经[Yi4 jing1], and the Spring and Autumn Annals 春秋[Chun1 qiu1] | |
| 茶经 | Chá jīng | the Classic of Tea, first monograph ever on tea and its culture, written by 陸羽|陆羽[Lu4 Yu3] between 760-780 | |
| 重典 | zhòng diǎn | important classic text / severe laws | |
| 千字文 | Qiān zì wén | Thousand Character Classic, 6th century poem used as a traditional reading primer | |
| 释文 | shì wén | interpreting words / to explain the meaning of words in classic texts / to decipher an old script | |
| 劝学 | quàn xué | On learning, classic book by Confucian philosopher Xun Zi 荀子 / (c. 310-237 BC) | |
| 训诂 | xùn gǔ | to interpret and make glossaries and commentaries on classic texts | |
| 十三经 | Shí sān jīng | the Thirteen Confucian Classics, namely: Book of Songs 詩經|诗经[Shi1 jing1], Book of History 尚書|尚书[Shang4 shu1], Rites of Zhou 周禮|周礼[Zhou1 li3], Rites and Ceremonies 儀禮|仪礼[Yi2 li3], Classic of Rites 禮記|礼记[Li3 ji4], Book of Changes 易經|易经[Yi4 jing1], Mr Zuo's Annals 左傳|左传[Zuo3 Zhuan4], Mr Gongyang's Annals 公羊傳|公羊传[Gong1 yang2 Zhuan4], Mr Guliang's Annals 穀梁傳|谷梁传[Gu3 liang2 Zhuan4], The Analects 論語|论语[Lun2 yu3], Erya 爾雅|尔雅[Er3 ya3], Classic of Filial Piety 孝經|孝经[Xiao4 jing1], Mencius 孟子[Meng4 zi3] | |
| 训诂学 | xùn gǔ xué | study of classic texts, including interpretation, glossaries and commentaries | |
| 螳螂捕蝉 | táng láng bǔ chán | the mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind (idiom, from Daoist classic Zhuangzi 莊子|庄子[Zhuang1 zi3]) / to pursue a narrow gain while neglecting a greater danger | |
| 三国演义 | Sān guó Yǎn yì | Romance of the Three Kingdoms by Luo Guanzhong 羅貫中|罗贯中[Luo2 Guan4 zhong1], one of the Four Classic Novels of Chinese literature, a fictional account of the Three Kingdoms at the break-up of the Han around 200 AD, portraying Liu Bei's 劉備|刘备[Liu2 Bei4] Shu Han 蜀漢|蜀汉[Shu3 Han4] as heroes and Cao Cao's 曹操[Cao2 Cao1] Wei 魏[Wei4] as villains | |
| 西游记 | Xī yóu Jì | "Journey to the West", Ming dynasty novel by Wu Cheng'en 吳承恩|吴承恩[Wu2 Cheng2 en1], one of the Four Classic Novels of Chinese literature, also called "Pilgrimage to the West" or "Monkey" | |
| 山海经 | Shān hǎi Jīng | Classic of Mountain and Sea, probably compiled c. 500 BC-200 BC, contains wide range of geography, mythology, witchcraft, popular customs etc | |
| 水浒传 | Shuǐ hǔ Zhuàn | Water Margin or Outlaws of the Marsh by Shi Nai'an 施耐庵[Shi1 Nai4 an1], one of the Four Classic Novels of Chinese literature | |
| 武松 | Wǔ Sōng | Wu Song, a heroic outlaw of Liangshan Marsh in the classic novel Water Margin 水滸傳|水浒传[Shui3 hu3 Zhuan4], whose exploits include killing a tiger with his bare hands | |
| 人之初，性本善 | rén zhī chū , xìng běn shàn | man at birth is fundamentally good in nature (the first two lines of Three Character Classic 三字經|三字经[San1 zi4 Jing1]) | |
| 伪经 | wěi jīng | forged scriptures / bogus classic / pseudepigrapha / apocrypha | |
| 仪礼 | Yí lǐ | Rites and Ceremonies, part of the Confucian Classic of Rites 禮記|礼记[Li3 ji4] | |
| 古文运动 | gǔ wén yùn dòng | cultural movement aspiring to study and emulate classic works, at different periods of history, esp. Tang and Song | |
| 天地玄黄 | tiān dì xuán huáng | first line of the Thousand Character Classic 千字文[Qian1 zi4 wen2] | |
| 宅经 | zhái jīng | The Yellow Emperor's Classic on the Feng Shui of Dwellings | |
| 吊诡 | diào guǐ | bizarre / paradoxical / a paradox (from Daoist classic Zhuangzi 莊子|庄子[Zhuang1 zi3]) | |
| 拟古 | nǐ gǔ | to emulate a classic / to work in the style of a classic (author) | |
| 拟古之作 | nǐ gǔ zhī zuò | a work in a classic style / a pastiche | |
| 本经 | běn jīng | classic book / sutra | |
| 次经 | cì jīng | non-canonical text / dubious classic text / Apocrypha | |
| 残卷 | cán juàn | surviving section of a classic work / remaining chapters (while reading a book) | |
| 水浒全传 | Shuǐ hǔ Quán zhuàn | Water Margin or Outlaws of the Marsh by Shi Nai'an 施耐庵, one of the Four Classic Novels of Chinese literature / also written 水滸傳|水浒传 | |
| 源氏物语 | Yuán shì Wù yǔ | The Tale of Genji, classic Japanese novel by Murasaki Shikibu (c. 11th century) | |
| 真诠 | zhēn quán | to explain truly (esp. of classic or religious text) / true commentary / correct exegesis | |
| 礼经 | Lǐ jīng | Classic of Rites (same as 禮記|礼记[Li3 ji4]) | |
| 稽古 | jī gǔ | to learn from the ancients / to study the classic texts | |
| 窃国者侯，窃钩者诛 | qiè guó zhě hóu , qiè gōu zhě zhū | steal the whole country and they make you a prince, steal a hook and they hang you (idiom, from Daoist classic Zhuangzi 莊子|庄子[Zhuang1 zi3]) | |
| 窃钩者诛，窃国者侯 | qiè gōu zhě zhū , qiè guó zhě hóu | steal a hook and they hang you, steal the whole country and they make you a prince (idiom, from Daoist classic Zhuangzi 莊子|庄子[Zhuang1 zi3]) | |
| 圣经典故 | shèng jīng diǎn gù | biblical classic | |
| 螳蜋捕蝉 | táng láng bǔ chán | the mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind (idiom, from Daoist classic Zhuangzi 莊子|庄子) / to pursue a narrow gain while neglecting a greater danger | |
| 螳蜋捕蝉，黄雀在后 | táng láng bǔ chán , huáng què zài hòu | The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind (idiom, from Daoist classic Zhuangzi 莊子|庄子) / to pursue a narrow gain while neglecting a greater danger | |
| 释经 | shì jīng | exegesis / explanation of classic text | |
| 难经 | Nàn jīng | Classic on Medical Problems, c. 1st century AD / abbr. for 黃帝八十一難經|黄帝八十一难经[Huang2 di4 Ba1 shi2 yi1 Nan4 jing1] | |
| 黄帝八十一难经 | Huáng dì Bā shí yī Nàn jīng | The Yellow Emperor's Classic of Eighty-one Difficulties, medical text, c. 1st century AD | |
| 传统维和行动 | | classic peacekeeping operation / traditional peacekeeping operation / first-generation operation | |
| 典型霍乱 | | classic cholera | |
| 经典案例 | jīng diǎn àn lì | case study / classic example | |
| 螳螂捕蝉，黄雀在后 | táng láng bǔ chán , huáng què zài hòu | the mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind (idiom, from Daoist classic Zhuangzi 莊子|庄子[Zhuang1 zi3]) / to pursue a narrow gain while neglecting a greater danger | |
| 二十四孝 | Er4 shí sì Xiào | the Twenty-four Filial Exemplars, classic Confucian text on filial piety from Yuan dynasty | |
| 孔融让梨 | Kǒng Róng ràng lí | Kong Rong giving up pears, classic moral story about Kong Rong 孔融[Kong3 Rong2] picking up smaller pears while leaving the bigger ones to his older brothers, still used nowadays to educate the young on courtesy and modesty | |
| 曾参 | Zēng Shēn | Zeng Shen (505-435 BC), a.k.a. 曾子[Zeng1 zi3], student of Confucius, presumed editor or author of Confucian classic the Great Learning 大學|大学[Da4 xue2] | |
| 曾子 | Zēng zǐ | Zengzi (505-435 BC), student of Confucius, presumed editor or author of Confucian classic the Great Learning 大學|大学[Da4 xue2] | |
| 青釉 | qīng yòu | celadon, classic Chinese style of ceramic glaze | |
| 太乙金华宗旨 | Tài yǐ Jīn huá Zōng zhǐ | The Secret of the Golden Flower, a classic of Chinese Taoism published in the late 17th century | |
| 内传 | nèi zhuàn | biography recounting apocryphal anecdotes and rumors / (old) book of exegesis of a classic | |
