One character a day, easy to master Chinese characters. Let's take a look at the basic knowledge of "本".

本 bĕn  
Explanation: the root of a plant; foundation
Phrases: 根本(gēn běn) fundamental,basic  ; 本人(běn rén) 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”.    
      

Sentences:

1. Wàimiàn zàoyīn zhème dà，gēnběn méifǎ ānshuì.
外面噪音这么大，根本没法安睡。
With so much noise outside, I just can't sleep.

2. Nǐ běnrén bìxū cānjiā.
你本人必须参加。
You must take part yourself.