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本

本 — book, present, main

Learn the correct stroke order for 本 (book), a 5-stroke kanji.

JLPT N5Grade 15 strokes

Stroke Order

12345
Stroke 0 / 5
On'yomi (音読み)ホンhon
Kun'yomi (訓読み)もとmoto
Strokes5
Radical木
Frequency#10
Meaningsbook, present, main, origin, true, real, counter for long cylindrical things

Step-by-Step Diagram

1
2
3
4
5

Try Writing It

Practice writing each stroke in the correct order and direction. Start from the green dot.

Draw stroke 1 of 5 — start from the green dot

Common Words

一本いっぽんone long cylindrical thing; one film, TV show, etc.; one goal, home run, etc.noun
絵本えほんpicture booknoun
基本きほんbasics; fundamentals; basisnoun
脚本きゃくほんscript; screenplay; scenarionoun
見本みほんsample; specimen; patternnoun
元本がんぽんprincipal; capitalnoun

Usage & Examples

Usage Notes

The kanji 本 (book) is taught in grade 1 of Japanese elementary school and appears at JLPT N5 level. It has 5 strokes with radical 木.

In newspaper frequency rankings, 本 is #10, making it one of the most commonly used kanji.

Example Words in Context

一本いっぽん — one long cylindrical thing; one film, TV show, etc.; one goal, home run, etc.
絵本えほん — picture book
基本きほん — basics; fundamentals; basis

Practice Sheet

Trace then write on your own. Print this row as a PDF practice sheet.

Related Kanji

Same radical (木)

木tree末end未un-札tag朴crude机desk朱vermilion朽decay

Frequently Asked Questions

How many strokes does 本 have?

The kanji 本 (book) has 5 strokes. Watch the animation above to see the correct order.

What is the correct stroke order for 本?

本 follows the standard Japanese stroke order as taught in schools. Use the step-by-step diagram or the "Try Writing" tool above to practice each stroke in sequence.

What does 本 mean?

本 means: book, present, main, origin, true, real, counter for long cylindrical things. On'yomi readings: ホン. Kun'yomi readings: もと.

What JLPT level is 本?

本 is a JLPT N5 kanji. This is a beginner-level kanji.