本 — “origin / book” in Japanese

Grade 1ほん, もと

Radical ⽊ · radical 75 The building block this kanji is filed under

“origin / book” in Japanese is 本, read hon, moto (ほん, もと). It is a Grade 1 Kyōiku kanji, taught in year 1 of Japanese elementary school, and appears in words such as 本屋 (bookstore).

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What does 本 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	本
Meaning	origin / book
Readings	ほん, もと
Grade	Grade 1 (Easiest)
Curriculum	Kyōiku kanji · Japanese elementary school
Example	本屋 (bookstore)

How to read 本

本 is read hon (ほん) or moto (もと) depending on the word.

Words with 本

日本にほん
本日ほんじつ
熊本くまもと
手本てほん
一本いっぽん
本番ほんばん
日本人にほんじん
本格的ほんかくてき
熊本市くまもとし
根本的こんぽんてき

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Kanji read the same way as 本

Same sound, different character — the classic trap. Compare them side by side:

Read this character in a real sentence

Updated: 2026-08-28