蓝本 (lán běn) — blueprint; model for copying; original version…

Definition

noun

blueprintmodel for copyingoriginal version (of a literary work)chief source

蓝本。
Zhè ge jiàn zhù de shè jì lán běn lái zì gǔ dài gōng diàn.
The design blueprint for this building comes from ancient palaces.
蓝本。
Zhè bù xiǎo shuō de lán běn shì zuò zhě de zhēn shí jīng lì.
The original version of this novel is the author's real experience.
蓝本，。
Tā men yǐ guó wài chéng gōng àn lì wèi lán běn, zhì dìng le xīn jì huà.
They used successful foreign cases as a model and made a new plan.

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

本běnoriginal

蓝本 joins 蓝 (blue) and 本 (original), pointing to an original copy used as a model.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 藍; 蓝 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

艸艸cǎograss

Sound part声符shēngfú

監

監jiān藍lán

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

For 蓝, the traditional form 藍 has 艸, grass, above 監, which gives the sound.

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

本 adds a stroke at the bottom of a tree shape to mark the roots, giving the sense of foundation or original.