A stroke marking the root of a plant

 

Pinyin	běn
Meaning	origin; source; basis; root; classifier for books
Radical	木	繁體字	same

木

writing patterns, not components

category: ideograph

structure: single

5stroke count

HSK 1

Breakdown

本 (běn) is an indicative character, and its original meaning was “root (a part of a plant).” It has 木 (mù) “wood” serving as its radical, while a horizontal stroke works as the indicator, marking the root part. It later shifted to indicate the basic cause, source, or origin of something. Today, it is also used as the classifier for books, as books are made of papers, and papers are sourced from trees.

Used as a component

本 (běn) “origin” can either play a semantic or phonetic role as a component.

Used as a morpheme/word

本 (běn) can stand alone as a word, but it only serves as the classifier for books and does not signify “origin.”

How to pronounce

This character sounds like bourne, as in “Melbourne,” spoken in a British accent.