本 — measure word
measure word (books)
How to pronounce it
本 is read běn. The tone is part of the word: with another melody you get another word, or just a jumble of sounds.
How to write it
木 “tree” with a stroke at the root.
Strokes go in order: top to bottom and left to right, horizontal before vertical. Tap a character to open its page, with the strokes shown large and the words it appears in. To train your hand, print a handwriting sheet for “本”.
Examples
Sentences from the course lessons with 本. Tap the sound icon to listen.
- 我想买两本书wǒxiǎngmǎiliǎngběnshūI want to buy two books.
- 这本书多少钱？zhèběnshūduōshaoqiánHow much is this book?
- 桌子上有三本书。zhuōzishangyǒusānběnshūThere are three books on the table.
- 请打开课本，看第十五页。qǐngdǎkāikèběn,kàndìshíwǔyèPlease open your textbook to page fifteen.
- 这本课本有两百页zhèběnkèběnyǒuliǎngbǎiyèThis textbook has two hundred pages.
- 这本书跟历史有关zhèběnshūgēnlìshǐyǒuguānThis book is related to history.
More characters by topic — happiness, luck, strength, nature — on the page “Chinese characters with meanings”.
More words from the lesson “Clothes and books”
Look up another word in the Chinese–English dictionary: in English, in pinyin or in characters.
Frequently asked questions
What does 本 mean?
本 (běn) means “measure word (books)”.
How do you write 本?
本 is 1 character. The stroke order of each one is shown step by step on this page.
How do you pronounce 本?
本 is read běn. Tones: běn — third tone. The page has a native speaker recording.
“measure word” in the lesson “Clothes and books”
This word is from the topic “Food and shopping” of HSK 1. In the lesson you hear it in a dialogue, build a sentence with it and say it out loud. Start for free, no sign-up needed.
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