本
běn
(classifier for books)
Type: Measure wordsHSK 1
The character 木 (tree) with a horizontal line added at the base marks the root — hence 'origin' or 'foundation'. By extension it became the measure word for books (a book has its 'root', its binding).
It also appears in 本来 (originally) and 本人 (oneself, the person in question). A tiny word with many uses.
木mùtree
一yīone
我有一本书。
Wǒ yǒu yī běn shū.
I have a book.
Want to take it further?
This list will always be here whenever you need it. And when you feel like really practising and making the words stick, the HSK 1 Lan app has everything you need:
- 90 radicals explained
- The full HSK1 vocabulary
- 150 practice phrases
- Pronunciation audio
- Animated stroke order