Meaning of 本土
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- one's native country
- native
- local
- metropolitan territory
How to use 本土
本土 describes things that are local or native as opposed to foreign or imported, and it often appears in business, culture and news. It can also mean a country's mainland territory as opposed to overseas areas. Example: 我们要支持本土品牌。(Wǒmen yào zhīchí běntǔ pǐnpái.) We should support local brands.
本 (běn) is a tree 木 with a mark at its root, so it means origin or base. Add 土 (tǔ) soil, and 本土 is the soil you come from: your home ground.
Common mistake: Learners sometimes confuse 本 (běn) with 木 (mù) or 末 (mò). 本 has its short horizontal stroke near the bottom, at the root. 末 has a longer stroke at the top, and it means the tip or end.
本土 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
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
土 tǔ · earth · 3 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
Related words
Words that share a character with 本土.
| 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 |
| 土地 | tǔdì | land; soil |
| 本科 | běnkē | undergraduate course; undergraduate (attributive) |
| 本人 | běnrén | I; me; myself; oneself; yourself; himself; herself; the person concerned |
Questions about 本土
What does 本土 mean?
本土 (běntǔ) means "one's native country; native" and is used as a noun.
How do you write 本土?
本土 is made of 2 characters: 本 (5 strokes), 土 (3 strokes). That is 8 strokes in total.
Is 本土 an HSK word?
Yes. 本土 is on the HSK 6 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 本土 and 本地?
本地 (běndì) usually means the local area where you are right now, such as a city or town. 本土 is broader. It often means a whole country or region seen as home, set against foreign things, as in 本土文化 (běntǔ wénhuà), native culture.
Can 本土 be used before another noun like an adjective?
Yes, it often comes directly before a noun to mean local or homegrown. Examples are 本土企业 (běntǔ qǐyè) for local companies and 本土球员 (běntǔ qiúyuán) for homegrown players.