本店（ほんてん、honteん）
- head office

The word 本店 (ほんてん, *honten*) primarily refers to the "head office," "main store," or "headquarters" of a business or company. It's the central location where major decisions are made, and often, the original or most important location of the business. It’s the opposite of a branch or a subsidiary. 本店 can also refer to the main branch of a business.

⚫︎株式会社の本店 Translation: The head office of a corporation. ⚫︎あのレストランは本店が有名です。 Translation: That restaurant's main branch is famous. ⚫︎本店は東京にあります。 Translation: The headquarters is in Tokyo.

You use 本店 when referring to the primary or central location of a business. It's important to differentiate between 本店 and its branches or other locations. If you're unsure where the main location is, it's safer to ask for clarification, such as "Is this the main office?" or "Is this the 本店?" It is used in formal situations and general conversations.

本店 is written in kanji. The reading is ほんてん in hiragana. There are no other common ways to write this word. The okurigana is standard.

⚫︎本社 (*honsha*) - headquarters, head office (similar but often used for larger corporations) ⚫︎本部 (*honbu*) - headquarters, head office (often used for organizations or departments) ⚫︎本店 sometimes can be used similarly to 本店.

⚫︎支店 (*shiten*) - branch office, branch store ⚫︎支社 (*shisha*) - branch office, branch company

その会社の《本店は銀座にあります。》 ・Translation: That company's head office is in Ginza. ・Explanation: This sentence clearly identifies the location of the 本店.

このケーキ屋さんの《本店のケーキは美味しいと評判です。》 ・Translation: The cakes from this cake shop's main branch are said to be delicious. ・Explanation: This example highlights that even if there are multiple stores, the reputation of the cakes comes from the 本店.

The word 本店 is derived from the combination of two kanji: 本 (*hon*), meaning "main," "origin," or "principal," and 店 (*ten*), meaning "shop," "store," or "establishment". Together, they describe the main or original shop or establishment of a company.