<ol>
<li>When 本 is used with an identity (person, company) it is exclusively referring to the first-person, and  这 is mostly referring to the third-person (some people do refer to oneself in the third-person)</li>
</ol>
<p>Example:</p>
<p>这个人 (this person - the third-person)</p>
<p>这位法官 = this judge (the third-person)</p>
<p>这間公司 = this company (the third-person)</p>
<p>本人 = this person (the first-person) --&gt;  this person (I myself)</p>
<p>本官 = this judge (the first-person) --&gt;  this judge, (I myself)</p>
<p>本公司 = this company (the first-person) --&gt; this company (our company)</p>
<p>Notice:</p>
<p>[本 + identity] is not always a &quot;humbling word&quot; for example 本大少爺 means 'This young master (I)'</p>
<ol start="2">
<li><p>本 means 'this/ <strong>current</strong>' when it is used with time. The difference between [这个星期六，今個世紀 ，今年] and [本週六，本世紀，本年度] is the former is more colloquial and the latter is more literary</p>
</li>
<li><p>'本地' is a compound word meaning 'local/ domestic' (adj) e.g. '本地品牌' or  'this land'; 本土 is a compound word meaning 'native' e.g. 本土品牌 or 'mainland' e.g. 日本本土</p>
</li>
</ol>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-10-28T13:44:29.913Z
I was thinking of this as well, but I would not translate it to "this" in this context. It is worth it to say that 本 is only used in formal writing where the recipient is of higher status than you. In this case, 本 corresponds to 貴 (you).
player3236
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-10-28T13:47:36.483Z
@ player3236 本座，本王，本大少爺 are certainly used by people in higher status than you
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-10-28T13:48:34.533Z
The word I was looking for is "humbling word", I guess
player3236
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-10-28T13:52:48.023Z
Found the word: 謙稱. There is also 本月，本年，是日etc., where the translation is indeed "this".
player3236
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-10-28T13:59:56.550Z
在下，小人，小弟，愚兄，卑人 are 謙稱 (humble words); 本人 is a   formal word and it is neutral. Example" (colloquial) "我不想再辯論下去了";  ( literary) "本人不欲再辯"
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-10-28T14:06:18.767Z
Probably just an issue of interpretation. ["而形容寫信人即自己時，則可換上謙稱，如「敝機構」、「本人」、「晚輩」、「僕」、「弟」等等"](https://stedu.stheadline.com/sec/article/16547/書信格式-你識唔識)
player3236
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-10-28T14:13:18.980Z
本人 may be a polite term, but 本 is neutral.  e.g. 本大少爺 is certainly not a polite/ humble term
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-10-31T00:05:00.730Z
We sometimes use "the present..." in English to achieve this distinction: e.g. "*The present* (本) paper adapts *this* (这个) research to...".
Becky 李蓓
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-10-28T13:34:59.927Z
2020-10-31T00:02:33.683Z
2020-10-31T00:02:33.683Z
Tang Ho
<p>Register.</p>
<p>这个 is neutral to colloquial in register, whereas 本 is very formal and almost exclusively used in writing.</p>
<p>此 and 该 are two other formal options, both roughly equal in formality to 本.</p>
<p>Note that 本 is also a classifier for things like books, so you may see something like 这本书. This usage is completely separate from the formal usage.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-10-28T12:12:15.753Z
2020-10-28T12:12:15.753Z
Lionel Rowe
<p>There are two words in Chinese that are both translated as “<em><strong>This</strong></em>” in English (<strong>这个</strong> and <strong>本</strong>). What is the difference between them and how to use them correctly ?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-10-28T12:10:36.910Z
Can you give an example where 本 is translated as "This"?
player3236
<word-choice><difference>
Difference between 这个 and 本
# Difference between 这个 and 本

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-10-28)

There are two words in Chinese that are both translated as “***This***” in English (**这个** and **本**). What is the difference between them and how to use them correctly ?

**Tags:** word-choice, difference

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Can you give an example where 本 is translated as "This"?  

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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2020-10-28. Score: 4

1. When 本 is used with an identity (person, company) it is exclusively referring to the first-person, and 这 is mostly referring to the third-person (some people do refer to oneself in the third-person)

Example:

这个人 (this person - the third-person)

这位法官 = this judge (the third-person)

这間公司 = this company (the third-person)

本人 = this person (the first-person) --> this person (I myself)

本官 = this judge (the first-person) --> this judge, (I myself)

本公司 = this company (the first-person) --> this company (our company)

Notice:

[本 + identity] is not always a "humbling word" for example 本大少爺 means 'This young master (I)'

2. 本 means 'this/ **current**' when it is used with time. The difference between [这个星期六，今個世紀 ，今年] and [本週六，本世紀，本年度] is the former is more colloquial and the latter is more literary
3. '本地' is a compound word meaning 'local/ domestic' (adj) e.g. '本地品牌' or 'this land'; 本土 is a compound word meaning 'native' e.g. 本土品牌 or 'mainland' e.g. 日本本土

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: I was thinking of this as well, but I would not translate it to "this" in this context. It is worth it to say that 本 is only used in formal writing where the recipient is of higher status than you. In this case, 本 corresponds to 貴 (you).  
> **username_2**: @ username_1 本座，本王，本大少爺 are certainly used by people in higher status than you  
> **username_1**: The word I was looking for is "humbling word", I guess  
> **username_1**: Found the word: 謙稱. There is also 本月，本年，是日etc., where the translation is indeed "this".  
> **username_2**: 在下，小人，小弟，愚兄，卑人 are 謙稱 (humble words); 本人 is a   formal word and it is neutral. Example" (colloquial) "我不想再辯論下去了";  ( literary) "本人不欲再辯"  
> **username_1**: Probably just an issue of interpretation. ["而形容寫信人即自己時，則可換上謙稱，如「敝機構」、「本人」、「晚輩」、「僕」、「弟」等等"](https://stedu.stheadline.com/sec/article/16547/書信格式-你識唔識)  
> **username_2**: 本人 may be a polite term, but 本 is neutral.  e.g. 本大少爺 is certainly not a polite/ humble term  
> **username_3**: We sometimes use "the present..." in English to achieve this distinction: e.g. "*The present* (本) paper adapts *this* (这个) research to...".  

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### Answer by username_4 on 2020-10-28. Score: 0

Register.

这个 is neutral to colloquial in register, whereas 本 is very formal and almost exclusively used in writing.

此 and 该 are two other formal options, both roughly equal in formality to 本.

Note that 本 is also a classifier for things like books, so you may see something like 这本书. This usage is completely separate from the formal usage.


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