Meaning of 本身
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- itself
- in itself
- per se
How to use 本身
本身 comes right after a noun or pronoun to focus on that thing alone, often to contrast it with outside factors. It is common in formal speech and writing. Example: 问题本身并不难。(Wèntí běnshēn bìng bù nán.) The problem itself is not hard.
本 (běn) means root or origin, and 身 (shēn) means body. Together, 本身 is the "root body" of something, the thing itself with nothing added.
Common mistake: Learners often put 本身 before the noun, as in 本身问题. The correct order is noun first, then 本身: 问题本身. Also, do not confuse it with 自己 (zìjǐ). 自己 usually refers to people, while 本身 often refers to things, ideas, or situations.
本身 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
身 shēn · body · 7 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
Related words
Words that share a character with 本身.
| 身上 | shēnshang | on the body; at hand |
| 身体 | shēntǐ | the body; one's health |
| 本子 | běnzi | book; notebook |
| 课本 | kèběn | textbook |
| 身边 | shēnbiān | at one's side; on hand |
| 全身 | quánshēn | the whole body; (typography) em |
| 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 |
Questions about 本身
What does 本身 mean?
本身 (běnshēn) means "itself; in itself" and is used as a pronoun.
How do you write 本身?
本身 is made of 2 characters: 本 (5 strokes), 身 (7 strokes). That is 12 strokes in total.
Is 本身 an HSK word?
Yes. 本身 is on the HSK 6 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 本身 and 自身?
Both mean "itself" or "oneself". 自身 (zìshēn) leans toward a person or group and their own interests, as in 自身利益. 本身 is more neutral and is often used for things, as in 这件事本身.
Can 本身 be used about a person?
Yes. For example, 他本身就是医生 (tā běnshēn jiù shì yīshēng) means "he himself is a doctor". It stresses the person's own identity or nature, often in contrast to something else being discussed.