"本"

[hunchi]

I'm learning from Boya Chinese, and I came across this grammar point with the character 本。

I can usually figure out what the grammar points mean (the explanations are in Chinese), but with one I just can't figure it out.

Here are a few sample sentences,

“本报记者最近就生日礼物的问题作了一项调查”

“这件事由他本人决定”

“本词典适合学习汉语的外国人使用”

“本广告张期有效”

I just don't get what the 本 means. If anyone could help me out I would be really thankful.

Thanks!

[calibre2001]

It means 'this' or ' that' or 'the'

In the second example, it means 'himself'

[hunchi]

Oh, thanks!

So is it just a book form of 这个？

[Hofmann]

本 is tied more closely to the speaker than 這, perhaps emphasizing the close relationship with the speaker. Note the older meaning of this as "root." It can be most conveniently translated as "this" in almost all contexts.

[trien27]

“本报记者最近就生日礼物的问题作了一项调查”

“这件事由他本人决定”

“本词典适合学习汉语的外国人使用”

“本广告张期有效”

“本报记者最近就生日礼物的问题作了一项调查”: 本报记者 = a reporter from this newspaper [any newspaper name here].

“这件事由他本人决定” : 他本人 = himself

“本词典适合学习汉语的外国人使用”: 本词典 = this phrasebook / dictionary

“本广告张期有效”: 本广告 = this advertisement.

All these 本 words are connected to the speaker and /or "original source" in some way: 本广告 could mean "our advertisement" if said by the people who works at the SAME ad company. Remember that 本 means "root", "base" or "origin" from basic Chinese class?

[hunchi]

Ok thanks a lot! I get it now!

[Shi Tong]

A good way to get used to using this phrase or word in common language is to use the phrase:

"我本来". This means "I originally". You can use it to emphasise a like or something, like so:

我本来喜欢看书 (I (originally) (have always is the meaning here) liked reading books)

You can also use it as "never", by reversing the meaning of the end of the sentence:

我本来不喜欢看书 (I (originally not) (have never) liked reading books)

If you can remeber that 本 means origin, then it's almost always why that word is used.. so another commonly used written phrase is 本公司, which means something like "this/ the/ business", or "original business".

If you ever forget, use 日本 as an anchor- it's why Japan is known as "the land of the rising sun", and they name their country likewise "Sun Origin", which is quite evocative and should help.

[Hofmann]

It's more likely that a Chinese named that country 日本.

[jbradfor]

To my surprise, Hofmann is right, from Wikipedia: "Both Nippon and Nihon literally mean "the sun's origin", that is, where the sun originates, and are often translated as the Land of the Rising Sun. This nomenclature comes from Imperial correspondence with Chinese Sui Dynasty and refers to Japan's eastward position relative to China".

[sorry Hofmann, that came out wrong :unsure: I didn't mean that I'm surprised that Hofmann is right, I'm surprised that the name came exterior to Japan. That is, I'm surprised that the name for a country used in that country came from a different country. I assumed Japan would pick their own name for their country.]

[chrix]

Yeah, the historical native name for Japan is Yamato, written 大和. Incidentally, that's how they refer in Okinawa to the (Japanese) mainland...

[skylee]

Yeah, the historical native name for Japan is Yamato, written 大和.

Not 倭?

[Glenn]

It seems that 倭 was used for a little while, but they didn't like it, so they changed the character to 和. But 倭 was also a Chinese name for them. I remember reading something (I thought) on Wikipedia about the use of 日本 to refer to a specific part of the archipelago, and then that came to be used later for the entire country, but I didn't see it when I read through the article on 日本 just now. All I got was really confused.

[amandagmu]

Oh, thanks!

So is it just a book form of 这个？

Yeah--I've seen it used in academic writing and newspapers.

[Shi Tong]

I bet you're even more surprised that I was right about 日本 being "sun origin"! ;)

I've always assumed the same thing about the name 东京 too, since there is a 北京, 南京, where are the 东 and the 西? 成都 is in the west (a name which means "become city/ capital), 东京 is in the east.

At least, it makes it easy to remember the words. ;)

[Hofmann]

Many things have been called 西京, including modern 西安. 東京 is modern 開封. Japan has its own places called 西京, including modern 京都.

[jbradfor]

where are the 东 and the 西?

西京 is now called 西安.

東京, as I assume you are alluding to, is what we call Tokyo in Japan. It is called that because it is East of the old capitol, what we call Kyoto. The old name for Tokyo, before it was renamed, was Edo.

[stonelee]

“本报记者最近就生日礼物的问题作了一项调查”

“这件事由他本人决定”

“本词典适合学习汉语的外国人使用”

“本广告张期有效”

“本”ussally used in formal occasions.

Such as notices and statements.

本广告长期有效

:rolleyes:

[Glenn]

I've always assumed the same thing about the name 东京 too, since there is a 北京, 南京, where are the 东 and the 西?

There's a joke in Japanese that's similar to the "say stop five times fast. What do you do at a green light?" joke that involves asking how to read 南京 (Nankin) then 北京 (Pekin), then 東京 (Tôkyô). It actually trips people up, just like people will respond "stop" to "what do you do at a green light?" Except that they won't know how to read 東, wanting to pair a Sino-Japanese reading with kin, and just don't answer.

[Purpleshell]

remember it as 'oneself'

“本报(newspaper itself - reporters of (what) newspaper had an investigation on...)记者最近就生日礼物的问题作了一项调查”

“这件事由他本人(himself, his own - he decides....)决定”

“本词典(dictionary itself - this dictionary is suitable...)适合学习汉语的外国人使用”

“本广(ad itself - this ad...)告张期有效”

[trien27]

東京 is modern 開封.

Kaifeng,開封 WAS only called "東京" in the Northern Song Dynasty.

西京 is now called 西安.

Well, back then, it was called 長安.