本 meaning in English
(bound form) root; stem; (bound form) origin; source
Meaning of 本
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- (bound form) root; stem
- (bound form) origin; source
- (bound form) one's own; this
- (bound form) this; the current (year etc)
- (bound form) original
- (bound form) inherent
- originally; initially
- capital; principal
How to use 本
本 is very common as a measure word for books and notebooks, and in words like 本来 (běnlái, originally) and 基本 (jīběn, basic). In formal language it can also mean 'this' or 'the current', as in 本周 (běn zhōu, this week). Example: 我买了三本书。 (Wǒ mǎi le sān běn shū.) I bought three books.
本 (běn) is 木 (mù, tree) with an extra short line near the bottom, pointing at the roots. The root is where a tree starts, so 本 means root, origin, and the basic part of something.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 本 with 木 (mù, tree) and 末 (mò, end). 本 has the short line low, across the trunk near the roots. 末 has a longer line on top, and 木 has no extra line at all.
本 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.
本 běn · root · 5 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 本.
| 本子 | běnzi | book; notebook |
| 课本 | kèběn | textbook |
| 笔记本 | bǐjìběn | notebook (stationery) (CL:本[ben3]); (computing) laptop; notebook (abbr. for 筆記本電腦|笔记本电脑[bi |
| 根本 | gēnběn | fundamental; basic |
| 本来 | běnlái | original; originally |
| 基本 | jīběn | basic; fundamental |
| 基本上 | jīběnshàng | basically; on the whole |
| 本事 | běnshi | source material; original story |
| 本领 | běnlǐng | skill; ability |
| 本科 | běnkē | undergraduate course; undergraduate (attributive) |
| 本人 | běnrén | I; me; myself; oneself; yourself; himself; herself; the person concerned |
| 剧本 | jùběn | script; screenplay; scenario; libretto |
Questions about 本
What does 本 mean?
本 (běn) means "(bound form) root; stem; (bound form) origin; source" and is used as a measure word, pronoun and adverb.
How do you write 本?
本 is made of 1 character: 本 (5 strokes). That is 5 strokes in total.
Is 本 an HSK word?
Yes. 本 is on the HSK 1 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
Can I use 本 for magazines and dictionaries too?
Yes. 本 works for anything bound like a book, such as 一本杂志 (yì běn zázhì, a magazine) and 一本词典 (yì běn cídiǎn, a dictionary). For single sheets of paper you use 张 (zhāng) instead.
What is the difference between 本来 and 原来?
Both can mean 'originally'. 本来 often stresses how something should naturally be, as in 本来就应该这样 (it should have been this way all along). 原来 is also used for a sudden realization, like 原来是你 (so it was you).