---
title: "Benshi Meaning: 本事 (běnshi) Means “ability”"
description: "本事 (běnshi) means “ability; skill”. Hear its tones, see what 本 and 事 each mean and a real sentence that uses it."
canonical: "https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/benshi"
published: "2026-10-21"
updated: "2026-11-06"
author: "Mandarin The Wild"
---

[What does it mean in Chinese?](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning)

# What does 本事 mean?

猫头鹰māotóuyīngowl

本事 běnshi

## ability; skill

## It can also mean

- source material; original story (of a literary work)

## Its characters

1. 本 běn originally (as in 本来)
2. 事 shì job

## In a sentence

要想不怕它们，你得再学一个大**本事**：七十二变。

From [七十二变 · Seventy-Two Changes](https://mandarinthewild.com/library/read/seventy-two-changes-journey-to-the-west-easy-chinese-3#library-word-81-83)

[More about 本事](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E6%9C%AC%E4%BA%8B)

## More words with 本 or 事

- [版本 bǎnběn](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/banben)
- [办事 bànshì](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/banshi)
- [办事处 bànshìchù](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/banshichu)
- [本地 běndì](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/bendi)
- [本科 běnkē](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/benke)
- [本来 běnlái](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/benlai)
- [本领 běnlǐng](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/benling)
- [本能 běnnéng](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/benneng)
- [本钱 běnqián](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/benqian)
- [本人 běnrén](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/benren)

## Keep 本事 for Review

A free account keeps it, and Review brings it back just before you’d forget it.

## Look up another word

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