本 běn
root, origin, foundation, basis; original.
Story
The character 【本】 shows a very clear and logical picture. It comes from the character 【木】 (mù), which means “tree”.
Ancient Chinese people added a short horizontal line at the bottom of 【木】 to mark the root of the tree.
The original meaning of 【本】 is exactly tree root.
Just as a tree cannot live without its root, many Chinese words built with 【本】 carry the idea of “origin, foundation, or what is basic”.
This character is simple in shape but rich in culture. It helps learners understand how Chinese characters use marks to show meaning.
Memory Tip
Just remember: 【木】 (tree) + a mark at the bottom = 【本】 (root).
The mark points to the root, so 【本】 means root and origin.
