本

音読おんよみ: ホン

訓読くんよみ: もと

画数かくすう: 5 strokes

部首ぶしゅ: 木(き / tree)

Meaning

Book; origin; root; main


  • 日本にほん — Japan
  • 本当ほんとう — true, real
  • 本人ほんにん — the person themselves
  • 基本きほん — basic, foundation
  • 本屋ほんや — bookstore
  • 本日ほんじつ — today (formal expression)

“本” shows the root of a tree and has come to represent origins, truth, and core ideas. It’s also the standard counter for books, making it one of the most frequently used kanji in everyday life.

毎日まいにちほんみます。
I read books every day.

本当ほんとうありがとうございます
Thank you very much.

This kanji is usually read as “hon”, like in "nihon" or "hontou". Sometimes it changes to a voiced sound, like "bon" in "sanbon" — due to Japanese pronunciation rules.

Radicals Full List Spin 9