本身

běn shēn

HSK 2.0 Level 6 HSK 3.0 Level 6 Pronoun Common

Definitions

No definitions available

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Word relationships

Register variants

1 item

本人

běn rén

I; me; myself

Means 'oneself (personally)', more formal and often used in official contexts.

Synonyms

2 items

自己

zì jǐ

oneself

Used to refer back to the subject, 'self', but 本身 is more formal and abstract.

自身

zì shēn

itself

Also means 'self', often interchangeable with 本身, but 本身 can emphasize the inherent nature.

Usage notes

Common mistakes

Don't use 本身 with animate pronouns like 我 or 他; use 自己 or 本人 instead. 本身 is for abstract or inanimate referents.

Formality

本身 is formal and common in written Chinese; in casual speech, 自己 is preferred for 'self'.

Example Sentences

2 shown

这个想法本身很好。

The idea itself is good.

設計本身有問題。

Source: Tatoeba.org (ID 6728899)

Sentence data courtesy of Tatoeba.org. AI-generated examples are marked with this icon.

Words Containing 本身

它本身

tā běn shēn