book / the real

(tree) + (one/line radical)
★★★★★
5 strokes
JERKPNSYMBOLIC
JERK RADICAL: by itself, it means 'book', but most of the jukugo with the 本 kanji have to do with 'foundation.'

Onyomi

HON

Mnemonic

本 is tree (木) plus one line. You can think of that extra line as the real, uh. . .hold on. . .. uh, the ground! The real estate the tree is growing in!

Or, you can think of the line as a page of a book (made from a tree).

Or you can just go home and take a bath. I don't care.

Kunyomi

ほん book LAZY
★★★★★

Jukugo

本当(ほんとう)

for realz. ★★★★★
(book / the real) + (hit the target) = 本当 (for realz.)

xxx (ほん)

xxx cylinders ★★★★☆ COUNTER

used for counting. Ippon is one book. Psyche! ISSATSU (一冊) is one book, ippon is one cylindrical object. Makes sense if you imagine that back when Chinese sages were inventing kanji, books were written on scrolls and shit。

Pronounced like this: 1: いっぽん、2: にほん、 3: さんぼん、 etc.

本音(ほんね)

one's real feelings ★★★☆☆ CCWFP
(book / the real) + (sound) = 本音 (one's real feelings)

one's real feelings, as opposed to 建前 (たてまえ). You know, the 2 faces that only Japanese people have, as if no one else in the world would dream of being so false, and all that bullshit.

本物(ほんもの)

the real thing, not a counterfeit. ★★★☆☆ KUNKUN
(book / the real) + (animal / thing) = 本物 (the real thing, not a counterfeit.)

本来(ほんらい)

originally ★★☆☆☆
(book / the real) + (come/future) = 本来 (originally)

originally, essentially , primairlyー Emphasizes the historical roots. Originally the EPA was supposed to protect the environment, but nowadays it's protecting the polluters!

(ほん) xxx

the real xxx ★★☆☆☆ PRE

PREFIX meaning, 'the real xxx.'

For example, 本人 means 'in person' (I saw Billy Idol in person at the Costco!).

Used In

Synonyms

fundamentals
根本的    本来    基本的    基盤    基礎   
made in japan
日本製    日本の出身    日本の方