本
measure word for books; root; volume
běn
What does 本 mean?
本 (běn) is the standard measure word for bound printed objects — books, notebooks, magazines, dictionaries, photo albums. You always need a measure word between a number and a noun in Chinese, so 'three books' is 三本书 (sān běn shū), never 三书. Beyond the measure word use, 本 has older noun senses meaning 'root,' 'origin,' or 'edition,' which survive in compounds like 本来 (běnlái, originally), 日本 (Rìběn, Japan = 'origin of the sun'), and 课本 (kèběn, textbook). For HSK 1, just remember 本 = the counter for anything book-shaped. English doesn't have measure words at all, so the habit of inserting 本 before 书 / 杂志 / 词典 takes deliberate practice for English speakers.
Character breakdown
root; origin; book (measure word). The character pictures a tree (木) with a mark at its base, pointing to the 'root.'
Memory hook: A tree (木) with a line at the base = the 'root' of a book on your shelf.
Example sentences
我有三本书。
Wǒ yǒu sān běn shū.
I have three books.
neutral
这本书很好。
Zhè běn shū hěn hǎo.
This book is great.
spoken
你想买几本？
Nǐ xiǎng mǎi jǐ běn?
How many do you want to buy?
spoken
那本书是我的。
Nà běn shū shì wǒ de.
That book is mine.
neutral
Common phrases with 本
Synonyms
册 is a more formal/written measure word for volumes of a multi-volume work or library catalog entries. Daily speech uses 本; 册 shows up on signs, library systems, and formal writing.
Don't confuse 本 with
个 is the general-purpose measure word for people and most objects. Books specifically take 本, not 个. Saying 一个书 sounds clearly wrong to native ears.
张 measures flat things — paper, tickets, photos, tables. A single sheet of paper is 一张纸; a bound book is 一本书. If it has a spine, use 本.