根本

Chinese

		radical (chem.); root; basis	roots or stems of plants; origin; source roots or stems of plants; origin; source; this; the current; root; foundation; basis; (a measure word)
simp. and trad. (根本)		根	本

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): gēnběn

  (Zhuyin): ㄍㄣ ㄅㄣˇ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): gan¹ bun²

• Hakka (Sixian, PFS): kîn-pún
• Jin (Wiktionary): geng¹ beng²
• Southern Min

  (Hokkien, POJ): kun-pún / kin-pún

  (Teochew, Peng'im): geng¹ bung² / gêng¹ beng² / ging¹ beng²

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: gēnběn
    • Zhuyin: ㄍㄣ ㄅㄣˇ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: genběn
    • Wade–Giles: kên¹-pên³
    • Yale: gēn-běn
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: genbeen
    • Palladius: гэньбэнь (gɛnʹbɛnʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kən⁵⁵ pən²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: gan¹ bun²
    • Yale: gān bún
    • Cantonese Pinyin: gan¹ bun²
    • Guangdong Romanization: gen¹ bun²
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kɐn⁵⁵ puːn³⁵/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Meinong)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: kîn-pún
    • Hakka Romanization System: gin´ bun`
    • Hagfa Pinyim: gin¹ bun³
    • Sinological IPA: /kin²⁴ pun³¹/
• Jin
  • (Taiyuan)⁺
    • Wiktionary: geng¹ beng²
    • Sinological IPA (old-style): /kə̃ŋ¹¹ pə̃ŋ⁵³/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Taipei)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: kun-pún
    • Tâi-lô: kun-pún
    • Phofsit Daibuun: kunpuon
    • IPA (Xiamen): /kun⁴⁴⁻²² pun⁵³/
    • IPA (Taipei): /kun⁴⁴⁻³³ pun⁵³/
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /kun³³ pun⁵⁵⁴/
  • (Hokkien: Zhangzhou, Kaohsiung)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: kin-pún
    • Tâi-lô: kin-pún
    • Phofsit Daibuun: kinpuon
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /kin⁴⁴⁻³³ pun⁴¹/
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /kin⁴⁴⁻²² pun⁵³/
  • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: geng¹ bung² / gêng¹ beng² / ging¹ beng²
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: kṳng púng / keng pṳ́ng / king pṳ́ng
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kɯŋ³³⁻²³ puŋ⁵²/, /keŋ³³⁻²³ pɯŋ⁵²/, /kiŋ³³⁻²³ pɯŋ⁵²/

Note:

• geng1 bung2 - Chaozhou;
• gêng1 beng2 - Jieyang;
• ging1 beng2 - Chaoyang.

Adjective

根本

1. fundamental; basic; essential

   對我來說，我們國家的根本問題是我們的教育制度。 [MSC, trad.]
   对我来说，我们国家的根本问题是我们的教育制度。 [MSC, simp.]

   Duì wǒ láishuō, wǒmen guójiā de gēnběn wèntí shì wǒmen de jiàoyù zhìdù. [Pinyin]

   The way I see it, our country's basic problem is our education system.

   語言學習的根本法則是用進廢退。 [MSC, trad.]
   语言学习的根本法则是用进废退。 [MSC, simp.]

   Yǔyán xuéxí de gēnběn fǎzé shì yòngjìnfèituì. [Pinyin]

   A fundamental rule of language learning is: Use it, or lose it.

Synonyms

• 主要 (zhǔyào) (most important)
• 吃勁／吃劲 (chījìn) (colloquial)
• 基本 (jīběn)
• 當家／当家 (dāngjiā) (attributive, most important)
• 要緊／要紧 (yàojǐn)
• 重大
• 重要 (zhòngyào)
• 關鍵／关键 (guānjiàn)

 

Adverb

根本

1. (usually negative) at all; simply; absolutely

   他根本不知道從哪裡入手找工作。 [MSC, trad.]
   他根本不知道从哪里入手找工作。 [MSC, simp.]

   Tā gēnběn bù zhīdào cóng nǎlǐ rùshǒu zhǎo gōngzuò. [Pinyin]

   He has absolutely no idea how to start looking for work.

   她根本就沒有童年。 [MSC, trad.]
   她根本就没有童年。 [MSC, simp.]

   Tā gēnběn jiù méiyǒu tóngnián. [Pinyin]

   She didn't have any kind of childhood.

   這一群不食人間煙火的人，根本不知道別人的實際痛苦！ [MSC, trad.]
   这一群不食人间烟火的人，根本不知道别人的实际痛苦！ [MSC, simp.]

   Zhè yī qún bùshírénjiānyānhuǒ de rén, gēnběn bù zhīdào biérén de shíjì tòngkǔ! [Pinyin]

   These people who are out of touch with reality just don't understand the real suffering of others!

Synonyms

• (chiefly Mandarin, colloquial) 壓根／压根 (yàgēn)
• (Xiang) 兜底 (dōudǐ)

Noun

根本

1. root; foundation; base; basis

   我們應該把握問題的根本。 [MSC, trad.]
   我们应该把握问题的根本。 [MSC, simp.]

   Wǒmen yīnggāi bǎwò wèntí de gēnběn. [Pinyin]

   We should get to the root of the problem.

   我想從根本解決問題。 [MSC, trad.]
   我想从根本解决问题。 [MSC, simp.]

   Wǒ xiǎng cóng gēnběn jiějué wèntí. [Pinyin]

   I'd like to settle this problem once and for all.

Synonyms

• 來源／来源 (láiyuán)
• 出處／出处 (chūchù)
• 基本 (jīběn)
• 大本 (dàběn) (literary)
• 本源 (běnyuán)
• 根 (gēn)
• 根源 (gēnyuán)
• 根頭／根头 (Xiamen Hokkien, Zhangzhou Hokkien)
• 泉源 (quányuán)
• 淵源／渊源 (yuānyuán)
• 源 (yuán) (literary, or in compounds)
• 源泉 (yuánquán) (figurative)
• 源頭／源头 (yuántóu) (figurative)
• 濫觴／滥觞 (lànshāng) (literary)
• 由來／由来 (yóulái)
• 起源 (qǐyuán)

 

Derived terms

• 根本上
• 根本性 (gēnběnxìng)
• 根本法 (gēnběnfǎ)

 

Japanese

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
根	本
こん Grade: 3	ほん > ぽん Grade: 1
on’yomi

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) こんぽん [kòńpóń] (Heiban – [0])
• (Tokyo) こんぽ​ん [kòńpóꜜǹ] (Nakadaka – [3])
• IPA^(key): [kõ̞mpõ̞ɴ]

Noun

根(こん)本(ぽん) • (konpon) 

1. basis, foundation

Antonyms

• 末梢(まっしょう) (masshō, “treetop”)

Derived terms

• 根本的(こんぽんてき) (konponteki, “radical”)

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
根	本
ね Grade: 3	もと Grade: 1
kun’yomi

For pronunciation and definitions of 根本 – see the following entry.

【ねもと】 [noun] 根元, 根本: area near the root of a plant or anything similar [noun] 根元, 根本: base of a pillar or a standing object [noun] 根元, 根本: source or basis of something [proper noun] 根本: a surname Alternative spelling 根元

(This term, 根本, is an alternative spelling of the above term.)

Etymology 3

Kanji in this term
根	本
ね Grade: 3	ほん Grade: 1
kun’yomi	on’yomi

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ne̞hõ̞ɴ]

Noun

根(ね)本(ほん) • (nehon) 

1. (regional, Osaka, Kyoto) the script of a kabuki drama
2. short for 絵入根本 (e iri nehon, “illustrated kabuki script”)

Korean

Hanja in this term
根	本

Noun

根本 • (geunbon) (hangeul 근본)

1. Hanja form^? of 근본 (“root, basis”).