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Kanji Information Sheet for 本  ( PDF version of this Kanji PDF version )

stroke order illustration  
English:
book
present
main
true
real
counter for long things
On-Yomi:
ホン
Kun-Yomi:
もと
まと
Bushu (Radical) Info:
| (ぼう) – rod
木 (き) – tree
Henshall Mnemonic: tree with one central root
Levels: JLPT N5 | JLPT 4 (old) | Grade 1
Frequency: #10 of the 2500 most used kanji in newspapers

Common Words and/or Phrases Using this Kanji:

Click any individual kanji to view a similar information sheet for it.
Click [K] to look up the word's individual character(s) at WWWJDIC.
Click [D] to look up the word at WWWJDIC (definition is the same but other useful features exist).

Click [Jisho] to look up the word at Jisho.org.

JLPT N5 Words

  •   [ほん]
    (n,pref) book; main; head; this; our; counter for long cylindrical things   [K] [D] [Jisho]
  •   [ほんだな]
    (n) bookshelves   [K] [D] [Jisho]

JLPT N3 Words

JLPT N2 Words

  •   [ひょうほん]
    (n) example; specimen   [K] [D] [Jisho]
  •   [みほん]
    (n) sample   [K] [D] [Jisho]
  •   [ほんぶ]
    (n) headquarters   [K] [D] [Jisho]
  •   [ほんらい]
    (n-adv,n-t,adj-no) essentially; naturally; by nature; in (and of) itself; originally   [K] [D] [Jisho]

JLPT N1 Words

  • の   [ほんの]
    (adj-pn) (uk) mere; only; just   [K] [D] [Jisho]
  •   [こんぽん]
    (n) origin; source; foundation; root; base; principle   [K] [D] [Jisho]
  •   [ほんね]
    (n) real intention; motive   [K] [D] [Jisho]
  •   [ほんかく]
    (n) propriety; fundamental rules   [K] [D] [Jisho]
  •   [ほんかん]
    (n) main building   [K] [D] [Jisho]
  •   [ほんき]
    (adj-na,n) seriousness; truth; sanctity   [K] [D] [Jisho]
  •   [ほんごく]
    (n) one's own country   [K] [D] [Jisho]
  •   [ほんしつ]
    (n) essence; true nature; reality   [K] [D] [Jisho]
  •   [ほんば]
    (n) home; habitat; center; best place; genuine   [K] [D] [Jisho]
  •   [ほんたい]
    (n) substance; real form; object of worship   [K] [D] [Jisho]
  •   [ほんのう]
    (n) instinct   [K] [D] [Jisho]
  •   [てほん]
    (n) model; pattern   [K] [D] [Jisho]

Other Popular Words Not Classified by JLPT

  •   [ばっぽんてき]
    (adj-na) drastic; radical   [K] [D] [Jisho]
  • て   [にほんだて]
    (n) double feature (movie)   [K] [D] [Jisho]
  •   [もと]
    (n,n-suf,n-t) (1) origin; original   [K] [D] [Jisho]
  • 々   [もともと]
    (adv,adj-no) originally; by nature; from the start   [K] [D] [Jisho]
  •   [みほんいち]
    (n) trade fair   [K] [D] [Jisho]
  •   [じこしほん]
    net worth; owned capital   [K] [D] [Jisho]
  •   [よんほん]
    (adj) four (long cylindrical things)   [K] [D] [Jisho]
  •   [ほんい]
    (n) standard; basis; principle   [K] [D] [Jisho]
  •   [ほんいんぼう]
    (n) grand master of the game of go   [K] [D] [Jisho]
  •   [ねもと]
    (n) origin; source; foundation; root; base; principle   [K] [D] [Jisho]
  •   [とうほん]
    (n) climbing trees; liana   [K] [D] [Jisho]
  •   [ほんや]
    (n) (1) bookstore; bookshop; (2) publisher; (3) main building   [K] [D] [Jisho]
  •   [こんぽんてき]
    (adj-na) fundamental; basic   [K] [D] [Jisho]
  •   [ほんけ]
    (n) head house (family); birthplace; originator   [K] [D] [Jisho]
  •   [ほんかいぎ]
    (n) plenary session; regular session   [K] [D] [Jisho]
  •   [たんこうぼん]
    (n) special book; separate volume; book of lectures   [K] [D] [Jisho]
  •   [ほんかくか]
    (vs) regularization; getting up speed; proceeding at full tilt   [K] [D] [Jisho]
  •   [ほんかくてき]
    (adj-na) full-blown; regular; genuine; earnest; normal; typical; fundamental; real   [K] [D] [Jisho]
  •   [えほん]
    (n) picture book   [K] [D] [Jisho]
  •   [にっぽんいち]
    (n) Japan's best; number one in Japan   [K] [D] [Jisho]
  •   [ほんがん]
    (n) Amida Buddha's original vow; long-cherished desire   [K] [D] [Jisho]
  •   [そうほんざん]
    (n) (1) (Buddh) head temple of a sect; (2) (organizational) headquarters   [K] [D] [Jisho]
  •   [にほんが]
    (n) Japanese paintings   [K] [D] [Jisho]
  •   [ほんきょ]
    (n) stronghold; inner citadel; base; headquarters   [K] [D] [Jisho]
  •   [にほんかい]
    (n) Sea of Japan   [K] [D] [Jisho]
Find more details for at jisho.org, Yookoso! or WWWJDIC

Acknowledgments

The sofware used to generate this kanji information uses the EDICT and KANJIDIC files. These files are the property of the Electronic Dictionary Research and Development Group at Monash University and are used in conformance with the Group's license.

NOTE: I converted the sources just mentioned years ago and have never really updated so there may be some missing or incorrect information that has been addressed in the original sources but not here.

The first Stroke Order image used on this page is courtesy of Ulrich Apel's excellent open source KanjiVG project. The second image is from the folks at the excellent Jisho Japanese-English dictionary site and it too is based on KanjiVG.

Classifying the kanji and popular vocabulary by the new JLPT levels was done by consulting Jonathan Waller‘s JLPT Resources page, renshuu, Wictionary, and Nihongo Ichiban.

The Henshall Mnemonics are the copyright of Tuttle Publishing and are the result of the hard work by Professor Henshall. See the list I used here.

If you are curious about the lexicography shown in the word definitions, visit the WWWJDIC abbreviations and codes guide and the JMdict/Edict Lexicographical details page.