台本

• Reading: だいほん
• Romaji: daihon
• Kanji breakdown: 台 (dai) — platform, stage; 本 (hon) — book, origin
• Pronunciation: /da.i.hoɴ/

Meaning

Script; screenplay; libretto. The written text for a performance or broadcast.

Refers to the written document containing dialogue, stage directions, and cues for theatrical productions, films, TV shows, or radio broadcasts. Distinguished from 脚本 (kyakuhon), which often refers more specifically to screenplays, though the terms overlap in casual use.

Examples

1. 俳優たちは台本を何度も読み合わせた。 The actors read through the script together again and again.
2. この映画の台本は有名な作家が書いたらしい。 Apparently, a famous writer wrote the screenplay for this movie.
3. 台本にないセリフをアドリブで言った。 He delivered a line that wasn't in the script as an ad-lib.

Usage Guide

Context: theatre, film, television, entertainment

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

From Sino-Japanese 台 (dai, platform/stage) + 本 (hon, book). Literally 'stage book,' referring to the script used on stage during performances.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal