根本
HSK 3 (2021)Old HSK 5
根本 (gēnběn) · at all (in negatives)
根本 (gēnběn) means “at all (in negatives); root; fundamental”. It is written with 2 characters: 根 (root) + 本 (measure word for books). It is an HSK 3 word in the 2021 standard.
How 根本 is built
The characters
根 gēn · root
What 根 is made of
- 木mù — tree
- 十 — ten
- 一 — horizontal stroke
- 丨 — vertical stroke
- 八bā — eight
- 十 — ten
- 艮gěn — blunt
Origin hint: 木 gives the meaning, 艮 gives the sound. (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)
本 běn · measure word for books
What 本 is made of
- 木mù — tree
- 十 — ten
- 一 — horizontal stroke
- 丨 — vertical stroke
- 八bā — eight
- 十 — ten
- 一 — horizontal stroke
Origin hint: A tree 木 with its roots highlighted (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)
Example sentences
我根本不认识他。Wǒ gēnběn bù rènshi tā.I don't know him at all.
问题的根本在哪里？Wèntí de gēnběn zài nǎlǐ?Where is the root of the problem?
Questions about 根本
What does 根本 mean?
根本 (gēnběn) means “at all (in negatives); root; fundamental”.
How do you pronounce 根本?
根本 is pronounced gēnběn.
Which HSK level is 根本?
根本 is in HSK 3 (2021) and Old HSK 5.
Related words
- 根据gēnjùaccording to
- 根深蒂固gēnshēndìgùdeep-rooted
- 根源gēnyuánroot
- 归根到底guīgēndàodǐin the final analysis
- 根gēnroot
- 本子běnzinotebook
- 课本kèběntextbook
- 笔记本bǐjìběnnotebook
- 本来běnláioriginally
- 本领běnlǐngskill
Learn 根本 with its group
It is part of HSK 3 (2021) · Group 41: a short group with quick checks and spaced repeats.