基本

• Pinyin: jī běn
• Hanzi breakdown: 基 = 其 (phonetic) + 土 (earth) — the earthen foundation; 本 = 木 (tree) + 一 (horizontal line at root) — the root of a tree

Meaning

Basic; fundamental; essential. Describes the most important, foundational aspects of something.

Used both as an adjective (基本知识 — basic knowledge, 基本原则 — fundamental principles) and adverbially (基本完成 — basically finished). It signals something is foundational or largely sufficient without being exhaustive. The adverbial use overlaps closely with 基本上.

Examples

1. 这门课教的是汉语的基本知识。 This course teaches basic knowledge of the Chinese language.
2. 学一门语言，基本语法很重要。 When learning a language, basic grammar is very important.
3. 这项工作的基本要求并不高。 The basic requirements for this job are not very high.

Usage Guide

Context: education, work, everyday

Tone: objective

Do Say

• 你需要掌握基本词汇。(You need to master the basic vocabulary.)
• 这道菜的基本材料很简单。(The basic ingredients for this dish are very simple.)

Don't Say

• 这是很基本的一个。(Avoid using 基本 alone as a pronoun. Say 这是最基本的一个 or 这是基本要求之一.)

Origin & History

Compound of 基 (foundation/base) and 本 (root/origin). Both characters independently carry meanings of foundation and origin, reinforcing the concept of something fundamental.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal