本体

本體
běntǐ
noun #32,569

Meanings

  1. 1 main body / main part (of an object)
  2. 2 the thing itself
  3. 3 noumenon (philosophical 'thing-in-itself')
  4. 4 (internet slang) the real person behind a virtual idol / VTuber

Examples

Zhè tái jīqì de běntǐ shì bùxiùgāng zuò de.
The main body of this machine is made of stainless steel.
Fěnsīmen dōu hěn xiǎng jiàndào zhè wèi xūnǐ zhǔbō de běntǐ.
The fans really want to meet the real person behind this VTuber.

Tips

history
In Kantian philosophy 本体 is the standard translation of 'noumenon' — the unknowable 'thing-in-itself' opposed to 现象 (xiànxiàng, phenomenon). The everyday Chinese sense ('main part, the thing itself') predates this loan.
usage
Modern internet usage: VTuber and virtual-idol fans use 本体 to mean 'the real human animating the avatar.' E.g. 本体 = 'figure out who the real person is.'

Stroke Order

běn