If you read something in the original, you read it in the language in which it was first written.

As part of his studies, he read Homer in the original.

Did you read Neruda in the original?

He claims he learned French just to read Proust in the original.

Being able to read Ibsen in the original was thrilling.

I've always wanted to read Tolstoy in the original Russian.

See also: original noun