How to Write 本 (běn) — Meaning “Root / Origin / This / (Measure word for books)”

Imagine a tall tree (木) with a horizontal line drawn at its base to show where the roots begin. This line reminds you that 本 means 'root' or 'origin'—the starting point of the tree.

Pay attention to the stroke order: first the top horizontal, then the vertical, then left-falling and right-falling strokes, and finally the bottom horizontal. A common mistake is making the bottom horizontal too long—it should be shorter than the top one to keep the character balanced.

木 has no extra stroke, just the tree shape. 未 has two horizontal lines at the top (not one at the bottom). In contrast, 本 has one horizontal at the top and one at the bottom, making it look like a tree with a marked root.

本 is common as a measure word for books (一本书) and means 'this' or 'original' (本来 = originally). Culturally, it appears in 日本 (Japan), meaning 'origin of the sun,' and is used in phrases like 根本 (gēnběn, fundamental) to emphasize roots.

Common words containing 本 include: 书本 (shū běn) — Book; 本子 (běn zi) — Notebook / Book; 本来 (běn lái) — Originally / At first.