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本 bĕn
Explanation: the root of a plant; foundation
根本 fundamental,basic  本人 me,myself,oneself
汉字的确很神奇，在“木”（ ）字底部加上一画后，就变成了“本”字。“本”是指树木的根部，后来慢慢发展为“所有事物的根本”，同时也有“自己”的意思。
An additional short stroke is put near the base of the character 木（ ）, originally meaning “tree”, it is to emphasize where the roots of the tree are. So, “root” is the original meaning of “本”. It extends to mean the foundation for all the things. From the meaning of “foundation”, it also extends to mean “one’s own”.