Translation and Meaning of: 本 - hon

The Japanese word 「本」 (hon) is a multifaceted expression that carries different meanings depending on the context, although it is generally known as "book" in the Japanese language. The reading "hon" applies when the character is used to describe objects such as books, or to measure cylindrical and long things, like bottles or pencils. The versatility of the word makes it an essential component in both the everyday and cultural aspects of the Japanese language.

Etymologically, 「本」 is composed of two main components in Kanji. The upper part, which resembles a cross, traditionally represents the idea of division or a certain point. The lower part, which looks like a horizontal line, denotes base or essence. Thus, the combination of these elements suggests the essence or origin of something. Historically, this connects to the notion of "book" as a foundation of knowledge or information.

The use of 「本」 is not limited to reading materials. In Japanese, the word extends to the act of counting, as in "ippon" (一本), which means "one long object." This illustrates how the concept of essence or base applies in various contexts in Japanese culture, showing the importance and flexibility of 「本」 in the language. Furthermore, the same word is found in expressions like "nihon" (日本), indicating "Japan," once again highlighting how this kanji permeates the language with a profound meaning of foundation and origin.

Vocabulary

Expand your vocabulary with related words:

Synonyms and similar words

• 書籍 (shoseki) - Books, publications
• 書物 (shomotsu) - Books, literary works
• 本文 (honbun) - Main text, content
• 本書 (honsho) - This book, this work
• 本著 (honcho) - This work, this job
• 本作 (honsaku) - This work, this (job) created
• 本格 (honkaku) - Authentic, genuine, complete
• 本日 (honjitsu) - Today, the current day
• 本年 (honnnen) - This year, the current year
• 本屋 (honya) - Bookstore, book shop
• 本棚 (hondana) - Bookshelf
• 本体 (hontai) - Body (of an object), real part
• 本質 (honshitsu) - Essence, true nature
• 本題 (hondai) - Main subject, central topic
• 本場 (honba) - Local original, authentic local
• 本店 (honten) - Main store, original branch
• 本社 (honsha) - Headquarters, parent company
• 本部 (honbu) - Main department, central section
• 本格的 (honkakuteki) - Authentic, in full style
• 本格派 (honkakuhai) - Authentic style, traditional format

本

Romaji: hon
Kana: ほん
Type: noun
L: jlpt-n5

Translation / Meaning: book; main; boss; This one; our; counter for long cylindrical things

Meaning in English: book;main;head;this;our;counter for long cylindrical things

Definition: A collection of printed material on paper or papers. Used for reading and research.

Example Sentences - (本) hon

See below some example sentences:

私の母国は日本です。

Watashi no bokoku wa Nihon desu

My home country is Japan.

• 私 - personal pronoun that means "I"
• の - particle that indicates possession, equivalent to "of"
• 母国 - "native country"
• は - particle that indicates the topic of the sentence, equivalent to "is"
• 日本 - noun meaning "Japan"
• です - verb "to be" in the present, equivalent to "is"

私は日本で育ちました。

Watashi wa Nihon de sodachimashita

I grew up in Japan.

• 私 - personal pronoun that means "I"
• は - topic particle that indicates the subject of the sentence
• 日本 - noun meaning "Japan"
• で - particle indicating the place where the action took place
• 育ちました - "verb" means "to grow" or "to be created"

私の課は日本語を勉強することです。

Watashi no ka wa nihongo wo benkyou suru koto desu

My section is to study Japanese.

• 私の課 (watashi no ka) - "my task"
• は (wa) - Topic particle
• 日本語 (nihongo) - "japonês"
• を (wo) - direct object particle
• 勉強する (benkyou suru) - "estudar"
• こと (koto) - abstract noun indicating action or event
• です (desu) - Verb to be/estar in the present

競馬は日本で人気のあるスポーツです。

Keiba wa Nihon de ninki no aru supootsu desu

Horse racing is a popular sport in Japan.

• 競馬 - Horses race
• は - Topic particle
• 日本 - Japan
• で - place particle
• 人気 - popularidade
• の - Possession particle
• ある - Verb "to be" in the present tense
• スポーツ - sport
• です - polite way of "being" in the present

紙幣は日本の通貨の一つです。

Shihei wa Nihon no tsūka no hitotsu desu

As notas são uma das moedas japonesas.

• 紙幣 (shihai) - papel-moeda
• は (wa) - Topic particle
• 日本 (nihon) - Japan
• の (no) - Possessive particle
• 通貨 (tsūka) - moeda
• の (no) - connecting particle
• 一つ (hitotsu) - I'm sorry, but I need the text you would like me to translate. Please provide the content for translation.
• です (desu) - Verb to be/estar

薄暗い部屋で本を読むのは目が疲れる。

Hakuaii heya de hon wo yomu no wa me ga tsukareru

Reading books in a dark room tires the eyes.

Reading a book in a dark room is tired.

• 薄暗い - poor lighting
• 部屋 - fourth
• で - in
• 本 - book
• を - object particle
• 読む - read
• のは - Topic particle
• 目 - olhos
• が - subject particle
• 疲れる - cansar-se

蕎麦は日本の伝統的な食べ物です。

Soba wa Nihon no dentōteki na tabemono desu

Soba is a traditional Japanese food.

• 蕎麦 (soba) - Japanese noodles made from buckwheat
• は (wa) - grammatical particle that indicates the topic of the sentence
• 日本 (Nihon) - Japan
• の (no) - grammatical particle that indicates possession or relationship
• 伝統的な (dentōteki na) - tradicional
• 食べ物 (tabemono) - food
• です (desu) - Verb to be/estar in the present

行くは日本語で「いく」と言います。

Iku wa nihongo de "iku" to iimasu

Eu vou para japonês em japonês.

• 行く (iku) - means "to go" in Japanese
• 日本語 (nihongo) - significa "japonês" em japonês
• で (de) - uma partícula que indica o meio ou a maneira de fazer algo
• 「いく」(iku) - a pronúncia em japonês da palavra "ir"
• 言います (iimasu) - significa "dizer" em japonês

西日本は美しいです。

Nishi Nihon wa utsukushii desu

The west of Japan is beautiful.

West of Japan is beautiful.

• 西日本 - West Japan
• は - Topic particle
• 美しい - utsukushii (bonito)
• です - Desu (To be - linking verb

観光は日本の文化を体験する素晴らしい方法です。

Kankou wa Nihon no bunka o taiken suru subarashii houhou desu

Tourism is a great way to experience Japanese culture.

• 観光 - turismo
• は - Topic particle
• 日本 - Japan
• の - Possessive particle
• 文化 - culture
• を - direct object particle
• 体験する - experimentar
• 素晴らしい - maravilhoso
• 方法 - method
• です - be (linking verb)