← ChinesePath Chinese Dictionary

本

běn

1. measure word classifier: books, volumes

   我买了三本书。

   Wǒ mǎi le sān běn shū.

   I bought three books.

2. noun notebook; book

   请把作业写在本子上。

   Qǐng bǎ zuòyè xiě zài běnzi shàng.

   Please write the homework in your notebook.

3. pronoun one's own; this (as in 本人, 本地)

   本店今天不营业。

   Běn diàn jīntiān bù yíngyè.

   This shop is closed today.

4. noun origin; essence (as in 根本, 本质)

   教育是立国之本。

   Jiàoyù shì lì guó zhī běn.

   Education is the foundation of a nation.

5. noun capital; principal (money)

   做生意要先有本。

   Zuò shēngyì yào xiān yǒu běn.

   Doing business first requires capital.

The full ChinesePath dictionary entry for 本 includes audio for every reading and example sentence, more example sentences, collocations, synonyms and links to the course units where it is taught.