Writing
本 (běn) — how to say "measure word for books and notebooks" in Chinese
本
Measure word for books and notebooks; root, origin
noun measure word · adverb · demonstrative pronoun
1. measure word for books, notebooks, etc.HSK 3.0 · level 1
noun measure word
2. originally; initiallyHSK 3.0 · level 5
adverb
3. self; this; one's ownHSK 3.0 · level 5
demonstrative pronoun
How to use it
How do you count books in Chinese?
书 names the object, a book. 本 counts it, so the pattern for book-like objects is number + 本 + noun: 一本书, 三本书. 本 counts books, novels and magazines. English counts books directly, while Chinese normally uses number + 本 + noun.
一本书
yì běn shū
one book
三本书
sān běn shū
three books
本 meaning “this” or “our”
In formal or written contexts, 本 can also refer to “this” or “our”, rather than count books. In 本词典是我的, it points to this dictionary and directly modifies 词典. This is a different use from the classifier in 一本书.
本词典是我的。
běn cí diǎn shì wǒ de
This dictionary is mine.
Radicals / Keys
木
Tree
#75 · mù · 4 strokes
Synonyms
Examples
我有一本书，我很喜欢。
I have a book, I like it very much.
我有一本书
I have a book.
Mnemonic
[běn-] Ben the Bear is digging next to a tree's roots 🌳 that perfectly form the character 本. He finds an ancient book 📚 buried there and exclaims, "I've discovered the root of all knowledge and origin of tales!"
Frequently asked questions
How do you say "measure word for books and notebooks" in Chinese?
"measure word for books and notebooks" in Chinese is 本 (běn).
本 meaning in English
本 (běn) means "Measure word for books and notebooks; root, origin".
本 pronunciation Chinese
It is pronounced běn (written as ben). You can listen to the pronunciation on this page.
How do you write "measure word for books and notebooks" in Chinese characters?
It is written 本 and has 5 strokes. The Writing section above animates the stroke order and lets you trace it.
What HSK level is 本?
本 belongs to the HSK 1 vocabulary list.
Tomyo
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Grammar with 本
很 — very + adjective
Subject + 很 (hěn) + Adj.
有 — existence with “there is”
Place + 有 (yǒu) + Obj.
几 vs 多少 — how many/how much
几 (jǐ) + Measure Word (+ Noun)? / 多少 (duōshao) (+ Measure Word) + Noun?
一 + measure word + 地 — one by one before a verb
一 (yī) + Measure Word + 一 (yī) + Measure Word + 地 (de) + Verb
本 — measure words for counting
Number + Measure Word + Noun
好 — easy to do
好 (hǎo) + Verb