标本

• Pinyin: biāo běn
• Hanzi breakdown: 标 = 木 (wood) + 示 (show); 本 = 木 (tree) + 一 (one) — the base of a tree

Meaning

Specimen; sample; exemplar.

Refers to preserved samples of animals, plants, or biological materials for study or display. Can also mean a representative example of something. In traditional Chinese medicine, 标本 refers to treating symptoms (标) vs. root causes (本).

Examples

1. 博物馆里展示着各种各样的动植物标本。 The museum displays all kinds of animal and plant specimens.
2. 医生需要采集血液标本进行化验。 The doctor needs to collect blood samples for testing.
3. 这个案例可以作为此类问题的典型标本来分析。 This case can be analyzed as a typical specimen of such problems.

Usage Guide

Context: science, medicine, museum

Tone: technical

Do Say

• 这是一个珍贵的化石标本。(This is a precious fossil specimen.)
• 请采集标本送检。(Please collect samples for testing.)

Don't Say

• 用标本形容活的生物 (Don't use 标本 for living organisms — specimens are preserved, not alive)

Origin & History

标 (mark/tip) + 本 (root/origin). The surface and the root — extended to mean a representative sample.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal