Kanji Study
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Kanji Information Sheet for 本 ( 
PDF version )
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| 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
｜ (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
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
- 本 [ほん]
(n,pref) book; main; head; this; our; counter for long cylindrical things [K] [D] [Jisho] - 本棚 [ほんだな]
(n) bookshelves [K] [D] [Jisho]
JLPT N3 Words
- 基本 [きほん]
(n) foundation; basis; standard [K] [D] [Jisho] - 日本 [にほん]
Japan [K] [D] [Jisho] - 資本 [しほん]
(n) funds; capital [K] [D] [Jisho] - 本人 [ほんにん]
(n) the person himself [K] [D] [Jisho] - 本当 [ほんとう]
(adj-na,n) truth; reality [K] [D] [Jisho] - 本当に [ほんとうに]
(adv) really; truly [K] [D] [Jisho] - 本物 [ほんもの]
(n) genuine article [K] [D] [Jisho]
JLPT N2 Words
- 標本 [ひょうほん]
(n) example; specimen [K] [D] [Jisho] - 見本 [みほん]
(n) sample [K] [D] [Jisho] - 本部 [ほんぶ]
(n) headquarters [K] [D] [Jisho] - 本来 [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
- 本の [ほんの]
(adj-pn) (uk) mere; only; just [K] [D] [Jisho] - 根本 [こんぽん]
(n) origin; source; foundation; root; base; principle [K] [D] [Jisho] - 本音 [ほんね]
(n) real intention; motive [K] [D] [Jisho] - 本格 [ほんかく]
(n) propriety; fundamental rules [K] [D] [Jisho] - 本館 [ほんかん]
(n) main building [K] [D] [Jisho] - 本気 [ほんき]
(adj-na,n) seriousness; truth; sanctity [K] [D] [Jisho] - 本国 [ほんごく]
(n) one's own country [K] [D] [Jisho] - 本質 [ほんしつ]
(n) essence; true nature; reality [K] [D] [Jisho] - 本場 [ほんば]
(n) home; habitat; center; best place; genuine [K] [D] [Jisho] - 本体 [ほんたい]
(n) substance; real form; object of worship [K] [D] [Jisho] - 本能 [ほんのう]
(n) instinct [K] [D] [Jisho] - 手本 [てほん]
(n) model; pattern [K] [D] [Jisho]
Other Popular Words Not Classified by JLPT
- 抜本的 [ばっぽんてき]
(adj-na) drastic; radical [K] [D] [Jisho] - 二本立て [にほんだて]
(n) double feature (movie) [K] [D] [Jisho] - 本 [もと]
(n,n-suf,n-t) (1) origin; original [K] [D] [Jisho] - 本々 [もともと]
(adv,adj-no) originally; by nature; from the start [K] [D] [Jisho] - 見本市 [みほんいち]
(n) trade fair [K] [D] [Jisho] - 自己資本 [じこしほん]
net worth; owned capital [K] [D] [Jisho] - 四本 [よんほん]
(adj) four (long cylindrical things) [K] [D] [Jisho] - 本位 [ほんい]
(n) standard; basis; principle [K] [D] [Jisho] - 本因坊 [ほんいんぼう]
(n) grand master of the game of go [K] [D] [Jisho] - 根本 [ねもと]
(n) origin; source; foundation; root; base; principle [K] [D] [Jisho] - 藤本 [とうほん]
(n) climbing trees; liana [K] [D] [Jisho] - 本屋 [ほんや]
(n) (1) bookstore; bookshop; (2) publisher; (3) main building [K] [D] [Jisho] - 根本的 [こんぽんてき]
(adj-na) fundamental; basic [K] [D] [Jisho] - 本家 [ほんけ]
(n) head house (family); birthplace; originator [K] [D] [Jisho] - 本会議 [ほんかいぎ]
(n) plenary session; regular session [K] [D] [Jisho] - 単行本 [たんこうぼん]
(n) special book; separate volume; book of lectures [K] [D] [Jisho] - 本格化 [ほんかくか]
(vs) regularization; getting up speed; proceeding at full tilt [K] [D] [Jisho] - 本格的 [ほんかくてき]
(adj-na) full-blown; regular; genuine; earnest; normal; typical; fundamental; real [K] [D] [Jisho] - 絵本 [えほん]
(n) picture book [K] [D] [Jisho] - 日本一 [にっぽんいち]
(n) Japan's best; number one in Japan [K] [D] [Jisho] - 本願 [ほんがん]
(n) Amida Buddha's original vow; long-cherished desire [K] [D] [Jisho] - 総本山 [そうほんざん]
(n) (1) (Buddh) head temple of a sect; (2) (organizational) headquarters [K] [D] [Jisho] - 日本画 [にほんが]
(n) Japanese paintings [K] [D] [Jisho] - 本拠 [ほんきょ]
(n) stronghold; inner citadel; base; headquarters [K] [D] [Jisho] - 日本海 [にほんかい]
(n) Sea of Japan [K] [D] [Jisho]
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.