The Chinese word 本 has several meanings, but it is often used to indicate “origin”, “source”, or “root”. Even more common is the use as measure word for books and files. Additionally, the word 本 can be used in compound words such as 本地, which means “local”, or 本质, which means “essence” or “nature”. Overall, the word 本 is a versatile and important word in Chinese.
Translation
Measure Word: for books, files, etc.
Adverb: originally
Pronoun: this
Pronunciation
Example Sentences
| Chinese | Pinyin | Engish |
|---|---|---|
| 这本书很有趣 | zhè běn shū hěn yǒuqù | This book is very interesting |
| 我的母语是英语，但我也学了一本中文书 | wǒ de mǔyǔ shì yīngyǔ, dàn wǒ yě xuéle yī běn zhōngwén shū | My mother tongue is English, but I also studied a Chinese book |
| 我买了一本杂志 | wǒ mǎile yī běn zázhì | I bought a magazine |
| 这本小说很长，但很值得一读 | zhè běn xiǎoshuō hěn cháng, dàn hěn zhídé yī dú | This novel is long, but worth reading |
| 我的朋友送给我一本漫画书 | wǒ de péngyǒu sòng gěi wǒ yī běn mànhuà shū | My friend gave me a comic book |
| 这本词典对我很有帮助 | zhè běn cídiǎn duì wǒ hěn yǒu bāngzhù | This dictionary is very helpful to me |
| 我们需要一本地图才能找到正确的路线 | wǒmen xūyào yī běn dìtú cáinéng zhǎodào zhèngquè de lùxiàn | We need a map to find the right route |
HSK
本 is part of HSK Level 1 in HSK 2.0. In the newer HSK 3.0 it is part of HSK Level 1 and HSK Level 6.
Learning Card
