基本功
jī běn gōng · HSK 7
basic skills
🧱 基本 (basic/foundational) + 功 (skill/effort) = the foundational skills you build on
基 = foundation/base, 本 = root/origin, together 基本 means basic or fundamental. 功 means skill or hard-earned effort (as in 功夫 gōngfu). So 基本功 is the groundwork skills, the fundamentals drilled until solid.
本 — tree 木 + mark at base
本 is a pictograph of a tree (木) with a stroke at its base, marking the roots. From this 'root' meaning it extended to 'origin,' 'source,' and 'foundation.' In modern usage it also serves as a measure word for bound objects like books.
功 — work 工 (phonetic) + strength 力 (semantic)
功 is a semantic-phonetic compound. The right side 力 (strength, a pictograph of a plow or flexed arm) gives the meaning, while 工 (work, originally a carpenter's square) supplies the sound. Together they convey effort applied to work — hence 'achievement, merit, accomplishment.'