← Kanji module
N5 · 5 strokes · — · Irodori #9 · Starter L4
本
book, counter for long cylindrical things, main, origin, present, real, true
Stroke diagrams © KanjiVG (CC BY-SA 3.0).
Readings
- On’yomi
- ホン
- Kun’yomi
- もと
Example words
本
ほん
book; volume
本棚
ほんだな
bookshelves; bookshelf
本当
ほんとう
truth; reality
本能
ほんのう
instinct
Memory aids
Guided learn session →How to remember
Shape
Tree (木) with an extra stroke at the root — the root/origin of things; also: book.
Components
Remember "book, origin" (本) by connecting it to its Irodori vocabulary context.
Anchor word
日本 (にほん) — your first meeting with this kanji in Irodori.
Readings
First learned in 日本 (にほん) — recall the word to unlock the reading. Kun'yomi: もと — often used in native Japanese words. On'yomi: ホン — common in compound words (熟語).