資本
しほん · shihon · JLPT N3 · noun
capital
💰 資本 = resources (資) + root/origin (本): the root money a business grows from
資 means assets or resources, as in 資金 (funds) and 資料 (materials). 本 means root, origin or main, as in 日本 and 本当. Together: the root assets everything else is built on. Sound hook: shihon ends in hon, the same 本 as in Nihon.
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.