本身 (běn shēn) — itself in Mandarin
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#1022 most common word · HSK 6 · CEFR C1
Pinyin colour key: tone 1 (high flat), tone 2 (rising), tone 3 (dipping), tone 4 (falling), neutral.
Tone breakdown
本身 is pronounced běn shēn. Tap any syllable’s row to hear the whole word.
In a sentence
Zhege wenti benshen jiu hen fuzha.
The problem itself is very complex.
Hear it, then say it right
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Start freeFrequently asked questions
What does 本身 mean?+
本身 (běn shēn) means "itself" in Mandarin Chinese.
How do you pronounce 本身?+
本身 is pronounced běn shēn. It uses the tone 3 (rising/dipping), then the tone 1 (high flat). Tap the character on this page to hear native audio.
How common is 本身 in Mandarin?+
本身 is the #1022 most frequent word in spoken Mandarin, so it is one of the first words worth learning.
Where 本身 fits
Every HSK 6 word with tone-coloured pinyin and audio.
Words at a similar frequency
Master the tones first
What each tone sounds like and why it matters.
Why some tones change in connected speech.
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