Meaning of 本子
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- book
- notebook
- Japanese-style self-published comic (esp. an erotic one), aka "dōjinshi"
- edition
Measure word: 本
How to use 本子
In daily speech 本子 most often means a notebook or exercise book, the kind students write homework in. It takes the measure word 个 or 本. Example: 我买了一个新本子。(Wǒ mǎi le yí ge xīn běnzi.) I bought a new notebook.
本 (běn) is a tree 木 with a mark at the bottom showing its root, and from "root" it came to mean something basic, like a book. Add the noun suffix 子 (zi) and you get 本子, the everyday object you write in: a notebook.
Common mistake: The 子 in 本子 is neutral tone, so say běnzi, not běn zǐ. Also, a printed book you read is usually 书 (shū), so do not call a novel a 本子.
本子 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
子 zi · noun suffix · 3 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
Related words
Words that share a character with 本子.
Questions about 本子
What does 本子 mean?
本子 (běnzi) means "book; notebook" and is used as a noun.
How do you write 本子?
本子 is made of 2 characters: 本 (5 strokes), 子 (3 strokes). That is 8 strokes in total.
Is 本子 an HSK word?
Yes. 本子 is on the HSK 1 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 本子 and 笔记本?
Both can mean notebook. 笔记本 (bǐjìběn) sounds a bit more formal and can also mean a laptop, short for 笔记本电脑. 本子 is the casual everyday word for something you write in.
Why does 本子 sometimes mean a comic online?
Among anime and manga fans, 本子 is slang for a dōjinshi, a self-published Japanese-style comic, often an adult one. Context makes it clear, but be aware of this meaning when searching online.