标本 (biāoběn) · specimen, sample, example

Measure Word

一个标本 gè

Meanings

1 specimen
2 sample
3 example

Characters

标

biāo

mark; surface; symptom

本

běn

root; origin; basis

Examples

HSK 5

博物馆里有很多动物标本。

Bówùguǎn lǐ yǒu hěnduō dòngwù biāoběn.

There are many animal specimens in the museum.

HSK 6

他采集了几种植物标本。

Tā cǎijí le jǐ zhǒng zhíwù biāoběn.

He collected several plant specimens.

HSK 7-9

这份血液标本需要马上化验。

Zhè fèn xuèyè biāoběn xūyào mǎshàng huàyàn.

This blood sample needs to be tested right away.

Tips

usage

标本 has two distinct uses: (1) a preserved specimen for study, and (2) in the expression 标本 meaning 'symptoms and root cause' (标 = surface symptoms, 本 = root). The idiom 治标不治本 means 'to treat symptoms without addressing the root cause'.