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Kanji Detail for 本 - "origin, book, root"

本

  • Meaning

    本 means "origin, book, root."

    1. Root - The base; the foundation; the roots of plants.

    2. Origin - The beginning; the source.

    3. Essence - The important part; the main point.

    4. Agriculture - Farming (as opposed to commerce and industry).

    5. Original - The original; also, true or genuine.

    6. This - This one; that one; also, one's own.

    7. Book - A written work; also, a counter for books.

    8. Counter for trees - A word for counting plants.

    9. Counter for films - A word for counting movies, programs, or matches.

  • Words using 本

    • 基本 きほん Listen basics; fundamentals; basis
    • 本社 ほんしゃ Listen head office; main office; headquarters
    • 本部 ほんぶ Listen headquarters; head office; main office
    • 日本人 にほんじん Listen Japanese person
    • 本人 ほんにん Listen the person in question; the person themselves; said person
    • 本当 ほんとう Listen truth; reality; actuality
    • 日本語 にほんご Listen Japanese (language)
    • 本会議 ほんかいぎ Listen plenary session; regular session

  • Four-character idioms with 本

    • 本末転倒 ほんまつてんとう Listen putting the cart before the horse; mistaking the means for the end; getting one's priorities backwards
    • 一本調子 いっぽんぢょうし Listen monotone; monotonous; dull
    • 他力本願 たりきほんがん Listen salvation by faith in Amitabha; relying on others; depending on others
    • 帰巣本能 きそうほんのう Listen homing instinct
    • 抜本塞源 ばっぽんそくげん Listen eradication of (sources of) evil; laying the ax to the root of evil
    • 敵本主義 てきほんしゅぎ Listen diversionary tactics; concealing one's true motives until the last moment

  • Tattoo check: 本

    • Verified meaning: origin, book, root
    • Official Jōyō kanji — a standard character every Japanese reader recognises
    • Used in real Japanese given names (read はじめ, ほん, ぽん, ほんざき)

    A single kanji rarely maps one-to-one onto an English word. Read the meanings and associations above as a set — a character that fits the dictionary definition can still carry a connotation you did not intend.

  • Name readings of 本

    Given names 本(はじめ)Listen

    Surnames 本(ほん)Listen 本(ぽん)Listen 本(ほんざき)Listen 本(ほんしお)Listen 本(ほんしょう)Listen 本(ほんやなぎ)Listen 本(まこと)Listen 本(もと)Listen 本(もとはま)Listen 本(もとむら)Listen 本(もとやなぎ)Listen

  • Compare with other kanji that mean the same thing:

  • Dictionary Citations

    The meaning above is based on the following sources:

    KANJIDIC2 A comprehensive Japanese-English kanji dictionary

    book; present; main; origin; true; real; counter for long cylindrical things

    Unihan Unicode Han Database for CJK characters

    root, origin, source; basis

    CC-CEDICT A Chinese-English dictionary

    (bound form) root; stem; (bound form) origin; source; (bound form) one's own; this; (bound form) this; the current (year etc); (bound form) original; (bound form) inherent; originally; initially; capital; principal; classifier for books, periodicals, files etc

    Make Me a Hanzi Open-source Chinese character data

    root, origin, source; basis

    XSZD Xuéshēng Zìdiǎn (學生字典) - Student's Dictionary

    The base of a tree is called 本. The roots of all plants are called 本. Hence one plant is called 一本. | The origin of any matter is called 本. Such as 捨本逐末 (abandoning the root to chase the tip). | Beginning. Such as original intention is called 本意. | A grammatical particle. Meaning "originally." Such as 本該如此 (should have been so). | Self-reference is called 本. Such as one's own country is 本國. One's own province is 本省. Also one's position is 本位. One's ability is 本領, meaning not dependent on external sources. | Principal capital is called 本. Meaning original funds. Such as 小本營生 (small capital business), 一本萬利 (small investment, big profit). | In the old system, memorials to the throne were called 本. Such as 題本, 票本. | Books, paintings, and rubbings are all called 本. Such as 刻本 (printed edition), 臨本 (copy), 拓本 (rubbing). One volume is also called 一本.

  • Onyomi

    tip

    hon(ホン) ホン

  • Kunyomi

    tip

    moto(もと) もと

  • Strokes

    tip

    5 strokes

  • Radical

    tip

    木 (ki・kihen)

  • Related Keywords

    root origin book essence agriculture counter for films important part this main true real actual authentic base foundation fundamental genuine literature primary source

Sentences including 本

  • It is a book.

  • What he says is true.

  • Can the rumor be true?

  • Does anyone here speak japanese?

  • I found the book easy.

  • You should read as many books as you can.

  • How long have you lived in japan?

  • This book is too difficult to understand.

  • My boss says one thing and means another.

  • Put the book back on the shelf.

Sentences from Japanese classical masterpieces

More kanji with the radical 木 (ki・kihen)

See all kanji with this radical →

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