本
book · present · main · origin · true · real · counter for long cylindrical things
Details
Description
Origin - a mark at the base of a tree. Root, source, the real thing, and the book itself.
Stroke Order
Cultural Context
Etymology
Shape of mark at base of tree (木). The root of things.
Symbolism
Root, book, Japan. Represents authenticity in 'real' and 'genuine'.
Related Culture & Scenes
- — Unraveling a book
Words & Expressions
Four-Character Compounds
一本調子
いっぽんぢょうし
monotone; monotonous; dull
興味本位
きょうみほんい
(just) out of curiosity; (just) in order to satisfy one's curiosity; aimed chiefly at amusing
他力本願
たりきほんがん
salvation by faith in Amitabha; relying on others; depending on others
本家本元
ほんけほんもと
original home; birthplace; originator
本末転倒
ほんまつてんとう
putting the cart before the horse; mistaking the means for the end; getting one's priorities backwards
帰巣本能
きそうほんのう
homing instinct
敵本主義
てきほんしゅぎ
diversionary tactics; concealing one's true motives until the last moment
抜本塞源
ばっぽんそくげん
eradication of (sources of) evil; laying the ax to the root of evil
本領安堵
ほんりょうあんど
recognition and guarantee, by the shogunate, of ownership of the inherited estate of a samurai who pledged allegiance to it (in the Kamakura and early Muromachi periods)
Poetry
鶏頭の十四五本もありぬべし
There must be a good fourteen or fifteen cockscombs standing there.
Anime & Manga
本好きの下剋上
Ascendance of a Bookworm
Story of a 'book'-loving woman making books in another world.
無職転生 ～異世界行ったら本気だす～
Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation
A well-known work with 本 in its Japanese title.
無職転生Ⅱ ～異世界行ったら本気だす～
Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation Season 2
A well-known work with 本 in its Japanese title.
坂本ですが?
Haven't You Heard? I'm Sakamoto
A well-known work with 本 in its Japanese title.
クズの本懐
Scum's Wish
A well-known work with 本 in its Japanese title.
Games
かまいたちの夜
Kamaitachi no Yoru(1994)
Developer: Chunsoft
Masterpiece sound novel game (progressing like reading a 'book').
View on Amazon →Related Figures & Stories
宮本武蔵
Name contains 本
Miyamoto Musashi mɯꜜ.sa.ɕi], c. 1583 – 13 June 1645) was a Japanese swordsman, strategist, artist, and writer, who became renowned through stories of…
Wikipedia山本権兵衛
Name contains 本
Yamamoto Gonbē, also called Gonnohyōe , was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy and twice Prime Minister of Japan from 1913 to 1914 and again…
Wikipedia坂本龍馬
Name contains 本
Sakamoto Ryōma was a Japanese samurai, a shishi and influential figure of the Bakumatsu, and establishment of the Empire of Japan in the late Edo…
Wikipedia柿本人麻呂
Name contains 本
Kakinomoto no Hitomaro çi̥.to.ma.ɾo], c. 653–655 – c.
WikipediaOther kanji with the same meaning
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 本 mean in Japanese?
本 means book, present, main, origin, true, real, counter for long cylindrical things. Origin - a mark at the base of a tree. Root, source, the real thing, and the book itself.
How do you read 本?
On'yomi: ホン (HON). Kun'yomi: もと (moto).
How many strokes does 本 have?
本 has 5 strokes. Its radical is 木 (tree).
Is 本 a good kanji for a tattoo?
本 is one of the kanji most often chosen for tattoos. It means book, present, main, origin, true, real, counter for long cylindrical things. Read the full meaning and cultural background on this page first — some popular choices are deliberately dark.