Japanese Kanji for Book: 本 — Both a Book and a Counter Suffix
The Japanese kanji for book is the single character 本, with 5 strokes, N5 level. It is read as “hon” (on’yomi ホン) and “moto” (kun’yomi もと) — “source, origin”. The same character also works as a counter suffix for long objects: 一本 (ippon) — one bottle or one pencil. And it also appears in the country name: 日本.
本 means “book”, “source”, and a way to count bottles. The character depicts a tree 木 with a line at the root: originally it meant “root, beginning”, and the book came later — as a source of knowledge.
How to Write the Japanese Kanji for Book
本 — значение: book, source, origin, counter suffix — онъёми: ホン — кунъёми: もと — 5 штрих(ов). N5 level, 5 strokes. Click “Show stroke order” — the strokes will animate as if written by hand.
A Tree with a Mark at the Root
The character is 木 “tree” with an extra short stroke at the bottom, pointing to the root. The original meaning is “base, source”: hence 日本 “source of the sun” and 基本 (kihon) “foundation”. The meaning “book” came as “that which contains the original source”.
Words with the Character 本
| Japanese | Reading | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| 本 | hon · hon | Book |
| 日本 | Nihon · Nihon | Japan — “source of the sun” |
| 本当 | hontō · hontō | Truth, really |
| 基本 | kihon · kihon | Foundation, basis |
| 本屋 | honya · honya | Bookstore |
| 一本 | ippon · ippon | One (long object) |
| 本人 | honnin · honnin | The person himself, personally |
Why Bottles Are Counted as “Books”
本 as a counter suffix refers to long cylindrical objects: bottles, pencils, umbrellas, bananas. 一本 (ippon), 二本 (nihon), 三本 (sanbon) — note that the reading changes depending on the number. The word 二本 sounds the same as 日本 “Japan”, which is a source of jokes.
Write 本 Yourself
Trace the character along the guides — the system will evaluate each stroke.
FAQ
- Which Japanese kanji means book?
- 本 — 5 strokes, N5 level. Read as “hon”. Besides “book”, it means “source, origin” and works as a counter suffix.
- How do you say “book” in Japanese?
- 本 (hon). Bookstore — 本屋 (honya), library — 図書館 (toshokan).
- Why does 一本 mean “one bottle”?
- 本 serves as a counter suffix for long cylindrical objects: bottles, pencils, umbrellas. The reading changes: ippon, nihon, sanbon.
- How are 本 and the name of Japan related?
- 日本 — “source of the sun”: 日 sun + 本 source. The original meaning of the character is “root, beginning”, not “book”.
Updated: 2026-07-25