本 běn source
measure word for books; origin; original
How to remember 本: 木 tree + 一 one = source. From an old tree the librarian builds one long shelf and tells the kids that its wood is the source of every book.
Component breakdown
本 = 木 tree + 一 one
- 木 tree
- 一 one
From an old tree the librarian builds one long shelf and tells the kids that its wood is the source of every book.
How it came to be
A tree with a thick mark drawn across the foot of the trunk, pointing at the roots. The mark is an arrow saying look here, at the part underground everything above grows from.
How it is used
- Measure word for bound volumes - 一本书 (yì běn shū) a book, 三本词典 (sān běn cídiǎn) three dictionaries.
- As a root it means origin / original - 本来 (běnlái) originally, 基本 (jīběn) basic, 本人 (běnrén) oneself.
Characters built with 本
Words with 本
- 本子běnzinotebookHSK 2
- 笔记本bǐjìběnnotebookHSK 3
- 课本kèběntextbookHSK 3
- 本来běnláioriginallyHSK 4
- 基本jīběnbasicHSK 4
- 基本上jīběnshàngbasicallyHSK 4
- 本科běnkēundergraduate courseHSK 4
- 成本chéngběncostsHSK 5
- 本人běnrénIHSK 5
- 本地běndìlocalHSK 5
- 本质běnzhìessenceHSK 5
- 本领běnlǐngskillHSK 5
- 根本gēnběnfundamentalHSK 5
- 剧本jùběnscriptHSK 6
- 原本yuánběnoriginallyHSK 6
- 本土běntǔone's native countryHSK 6
- 本能běnnénginstinctHSK 6
- 本身běnshēnitselfHSK 6
- 版本bǎnběnversionHSK 6
- 资本zīběncapital (economics)HSK 6
- 基本功jīběngōngbasic skillsHSK 7
- 本事běnshiabilityHSK 7
- 本分běnfènone's partHSK 7
- 本性běnxìngnatural instinctsHSK 7
- 本意běnyìoriginal ideaHSK 7
- 本着běnzhebased on...HSK 7
- 本色běnsèinherent qualitiesHSK 7
- 本钱běnqiáncapitalHSK 7
- 标本biāoběnspecimenHSK 7
- 样本yàngběnsampleHSK 7
- 亏本kuīběnto make a lossHSK 8
- 副本fùběncopyHSK 8
- 资本主义zīběnzhǔyìcapitalismHSK 9
Example sentences
- 我有一本书。 Wǒ yǒu yì běn shū.I have a book.
- 我买了三本书。 Wǒ mǎile sān běn shū.I bought three books.
- 那本书是我的。 Nà běn shū shì wǒ de.That book is mine.
- 我买了一本书。 Wǒ mǎile yì běn shū.I bought a book.