本身

• Pinyin: běn shēn
• Hanzi breakdown: 本 = root/original; 身 = body/self

Meaning

Itself; oneself; in and of itself. Emphasizing the thing or person being discussed without external factors.

Used to focus attention on the intrinsic nature or qualities of something, separate from external circumstances or perceptions. Often used to make distinctions or clarify what is inherent versus what is added.

Examples

1. 这件事本身并不复杂，是人为把它弄复杂了。 The matter itself is not complicated — people made it complicated.
2. 我对这份工作本身很感兴趣，只是薪资有点低。 I'm very interested in the job itself — it's just that the salary is a bit low.
3. 问题出在制度本身，而不是执行的人。 The problem lies in the system itself, not in the people implementing it.

Usage Guide

Context: analysis, discussion

Tone: clarifying

Do Say

• 学习本身就是一种乐趣。(Learning itself is a kind of pleasure.)
• 产品本身没问题，是营销做得不好。(The product itself is fine — it's the marketing that's not done well.)

Don't Say

• 不要把'本身'放在句子开头作主语 (Don't put 本身 at the beginning of a sentence as the subject — it should follow the noun it modifies)

Origin & History

Compound of 本 (root, original) + 身 (body, self), meaning one's own body/self, hence 'itself.'

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal