Translingual

Stroke order

Han character

本 (radical 75 木+1, 5 strokes, cangjie input 木一 (DM), four-corner 5023₀, composition ⿻木一)

Antonyms

• 末

Derived characters

• 体 呠 𪰐 泍 砵 鉢 (钵) 缽 絊 躰 骵 翉 苯 笨

See also

• 冊, 册
• 書, 书

References

• KangXi: page 509, character 7
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 14421
• Dae Jaweon: page 891, character 2
• Hanyu Da Zidian: volume 2, page 1151, character 1
• Unihan data for U+672C

Chinese

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 本
Bronze inscriptions	Large seal script	Small seal script

Derived from 木 (“tree”) by the addition of an extra stroke, accentuating the roots.

Pronunciation

Definitions

本

1. (of plants) root; stem
2. source; origin; root
   • 努力工作是成功之本。 [MSC, trad. and simp.]

     Nǔlì gōngzuò shì chénggōng zhī běn. [Pinyin]

     Hard work is the ultimate source of success.

3. foundation; basis
   • 謙遜是美德之本。 / 谦逊是美德之本。  ―  Qiānxùn shì měidé zhī běn.  ―  Humility is the foundation of all virtue.
4. edition; version; copy
5. originally; initially
6. current; present

   本年  ―  běnnián  ―  current year

   • 本財政年度的全部投資預算已用完。 [MSC, trad.]
     本财政年度的全部投资预算已用完。 [MSC, simp.]

     Běn cáizhèng nián dù de quánbù tóuzī yùsuàn yǐ yòngwán. [Pinyin]

     We have already used up our total investment budget for the current fiscal year.

7. this; here

   本人  ―  běnrén  ―  I [lit. this person]

   • 本函下面所示系Y先生的簽名。 [MSC, trad.]
     本函下面所示系Y先生的签名。 [MSC, simp.]

     Běn hán xiàmiàn suǒ shì xì Y xiānshēng de qiānmíng. [Pinyin]

     You will find the signature of Mr. Y. at the foot hereof.

8. Classifier for books, periodicals, files.  ⇒ all nouns using this classifier

   一本書 / 一本书  ―  yī běn shū  ―  a book

   一本雜誌 / 一本杂志  ―  yī běn zázhì  ―  a magazine

9. volume

Compounds

Japanese

Kanji

(grade 1 “Kyōiku” kanji)

Readings

• Goon: ほん (hon)
• Kan’on: ほん (hon)
• Kun: もと (moto)
• Nanori: なり (nari), はじめ (hajime), もと (moto)

Compounds

Etymology 1

Counter

本 ‎(hiragana もと, romaji -moto)

1. blades of grass and tree trunks
2. falcons

Noun

本 ‎(counter 個, hiragana もと, romaji moto)

1. Alternative form of 元

Etymology 2

Counter

本 ‎(hiragana ほん, romaji -hon)

1. long cylindrical things such as glasses of drink, pairs of jeans, pens or trains and buses
2. films or TV shows
3. home runs or goals
4. rounds of a match in boxing, wrestling or judo

Noun

本 ‎(counter 冊, hiragana ほん, romaji hon)

1. a book
2. a script; a scenario

Korean

Hanja

本 • ‎(bon)
Eumhun:

• Sound (hangeul): 본 (McCune-Reischauer: pon, Yale: pon)

• Name (hangeul): 뿌리 (ppuri)()

1. stump, root, basis
2. main
3. oneself

Compounds

• 본관 ‎(bon-gwan)(本官)
• 본전 ‎(bonjeon)(本錢)
• 근본 ‎(geunbon)(根本) root, basis
• 기본 ‎(gibon)(基本) basics
• 본사 ‎(bonsa)(本社) headquarters
• 일본 ‎(ilbon)(日本) Japan
• 일본인 ‎(ilbonin)(日本人) Japanese People
• 자본 ‎(jabon)(資本) capital
• 자본주의 ‎(jabonjuui)(資本主義) capitalism
• 본인 ‎(bonin)(本人) oneself
• 본질 ‎(bonjil)(本質) essence
• 사본 ‎(sabon)(寫本) copy
• 본부 ‎(bonbu)(本部) headquarters
• 본래 ‎(bollae)(本來) original
• 본체 ‎(bonche)(本體) main body

Vietnamese

Han character

本 (bản, bộn, bủn, vỏn, vốn, bốn, bổn, bún, pắn, vẩn, tựợng)

1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.