Learn 本事 vs 本领 in Chinese (China, Simplified). Build fluency with personalized exercises, chats, and video recommendations.
Both 本事 and 本领 mean “ability/skill,” but they differ in tone and typical use:
本领：ability/competence (more neutral; often praises someone’s capability). Common in 有本领, 很有本领.本事：ability, but often implies “real ability” and is frequently used in challenges/boasts or in fixed patterns. Common in 有本事(就)…, 没本事, 真本事. It can feel more confrontational depending on context.Example patterns:
他很有本领。你有本事就自己做。他没本事还爱说。这才是真本事。Related Topics: Ability and Skills, Common Chinese Set Phrases, Tone and Register