本店
honten
In Japanese, honten means the main store or head office.
The term 本店 is used to describe both the primary physical retail location of a business chain and the central administrative headquarters of a company.
What does it mean word for word?
The word is composed of 本 (hon), meaning main or origin and 店 (ten), meaning shop or store.
How do you pronounce it?
honten
Did you know?
- The character 本 in honten also means 'book' and 'root', reflecting the idea that the main store is the root from which all other branches grow.
- Some long-established businesses use honten to refer to a family-run original shop even if a larger corporate headquarters now exists elsewhere.
- In some industries, the honten is not the largest store but the one that holds the original license or founding charter of the business.
Examples in context
- 本家の味は最高だよ。The taste at the original store is amazing.
- 本店へ直接行きます。honten e chokusetsu ikimasu.I will go directly to the main store.
- この商品は本店にしかありません。kono shouhin wa honten ni shika arimasen.This product is only available at the head office.
- 本店はどこにありますか？honten wa doko ni arimasu ka?Where is the head office located?
Example conversation
Misaki and Ren are looking at a map of a famous confectionery shop.
- 美咲 Misakiここが本店なの？Koko ga honten nano?Is this the main store?
- 蓮 Renうん、一番大きい店だよ。Un, ichiban ookii mise dayo.Yes, it's the biggest shop.
- 美咲 Misaki本店に行きたいね。Honten ni ikitai ne.I want to go to the main store.
- 蓮 Renそうだね、行こうか。Sou da ne, ikou ka.You're right, shall we go?
