本体
Meaning in Englishsubstance, body, trunk
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Word context
What it means
What does 本体 mean? It denotes the main or physical body of an object, distinct from its parts, exterior features, or software; the term is used to refer to the central substance or core form in everyday and technical contexts.
Main meanings
- Main body or main unit of a device or organism
- The true form or essence of something, beyond its appearance
- In computing or robotics, the hardware component as opposed to software or peripherals
How to use it
Used to refer to the physical main part of a device, organism, or object; it distinguishes the core hardware from software or peripheral parts; in philosophical or theoretical contexts it can denote the true substance or essence behind appearances; in formal technical writing it appears alongside terms for components and modules.
Variants and close terms
- main body, main unit — hontai
- core, essence, substance — hontai
- physical form, real body — hontai
Composition
- 本: base, main, origin
- 体: body, form
- Combination: main body or core form
Etymology
本体 is a compound of 本 and 体; its typical pronunciation in compounds is hontai, reflecting a union of base/main and body concepts; phonetic evolution centers on these on-reading pronunciations.
Word class
Noun (名詞)