The character 本 — “root”: how to write it and what it means
root; measure word: books
The Chinese character 本 is read běn and means “root; measure word: books”. Below: the stroke order step by step, what the character is made of and the words it appears in.
Stroke order: how to write 本
本 has 5 strokes. At each step the new stroke is highlighted — write them in the same order: top to bottom and left to right, horizontal before vertical, a frame before what is inside it, and the bottom stroke of the frame last.
To train your hand, print a handwriting sheet for 本, with strokes to trace and empty squares.
What 本 is made of
木 “tree” with a stroke at the root.
The parts of a character hint at its meaning or its reading — more in the article “Chinese character radicals”.
Words with 本
- 本子notebookHSK 2
- 课本textbookHSK 3
- 笔记本notebook; laptopHSK 3
- 本科bachelor's degree programHSK 4
- 本来originally; actuallyHSK 4
- 基本basic, fundamentalHSK 4
- 基本上basically, on the wholeHSK 4
- 本人myself, in personHSK 5
- 本地local (here)HSK 5
- 本领skill, abilityHSK 5
- 根本root; (not) at allHSK 5
- 成本cost, production costHSK 5
- 本质essenceHSK 5
- 原本originally, at firstHSK 6
- 本能instinct; instinctivelyHSK 6
- 本身itself, as suchHSK 6
Frequently asked questions
How do you write the character 本?
本 has 5 strokes. They follow the usual rules: top to bottom, left to right, horizontal before vertical, outside before inside. The order of each stroke is shown on this page.
What does 本 mean?
本 means “root; measure word: books”. It appears in 本子 (“notebook”), 课本 (“textbook”), 笔记本 (“notebook”), 本科 (“bachelor's degree program”).
How do you pronounce 本?
本 is read běn. The tone is part of the reading: with another melody it becomes another syllable.
How many strokes does 本 have?
5 strokes.
More characters on the page “Chinese characters with meanings” and in the list of HSK characters by level; whole words are in the dictionary.
Write 本 yourself
In the lessons you write characters stroke by stroke with a finger or a mouse, and the course checks the order. You can start for free, no sign-up needed.
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