The word 本事 is formed through a conceptual metaphor where 本, meaning "root" or "origin", is combined with 事, meaning "matter" or "affair". It visually and notionally suggests the fundamental, rooted, or original matters of a thing or person. The term thus evolves to mean "inherent ability" or "real skill", picturing one's core capacities as the foundational roots from which practical competence in affairs grows.