根本 (gēnběn) — fundamental, root; fundamentally, at all
HSK 5 | adjective / adverb / noun | basic and essential; at the most basic level; not at all (negative)
根本 (gēnběn)
A versatile word covering the most basic or essential aspect of something -- and as an adverb, intensifying a negative statement to mean "not at all" or "absolutely not."
Meanings
- [adjective] fundamental, basic, root-level, essential
- [adverb] fundamentally; (in negative sentences) at all, simply, absolutely not
- [noun] the root, the foundation, the essence
Example Sentences
解决贫困问题，教育才是根本。 Jiějué pínkùn wèntí, jiàoyù cái shì gēnběn. Education is the fundamental solution to the problem of poverty.
这个方案根本不可行，我们需要重新考虑。 Zhège fāng'àn gēnběn bù kěxíng, wǒmen xūyào chóngxīn kǎolǜ. This plan is fundamentally unworkable; we need to reconsider.
他根本没来过这里，你肯定认错人了。 Tā gēnběn méi lái guò zhèlǐ, nǐ kěndìng rèncuò rén le. He has never been here at all; you must have mistaken him for someone else.
提高教育质量是推动国家发展的根本动力。 Tígāo jiàoyù zhìliàng shì tuīdòng guójiā fāzhǎn de gēnběn dònglì. Improving education quality is the fundamental driving force for national development.
改变不良习惯，需要从根本上改变思维方式。 Gǎibiàn bùliáng xíguàn, xūyào cóng gēnběn shàng gǎibiàn sīwéi fāngshì. Changing bad habits requires fundamentally changing one's way of thinking.
这两个问题看似相关，实则根本不同。 Zhè liǎng gè wèntí kàn sì xiāngguān, shí zé gēnběn bùtóng. These two issues appear related but are fundamentally different.
Collocations
| Collocation | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 根本原因 (gēnběn yuányīn) | root cause |
| 根本问题 (gēnběn wèntí) | fundamental issue |
| 从根本上 (cóng gēnběn shàng) | fundamentally, at the root level |
| 根本不 (gēnběn bù) | not at all, simply not |
| 根本利益 (gēnběn lìyì) | fundamental interests |
| 根本解决 (gēnběn jiějué) | to solve at the root level |
Usage Notes
根本 has two very different uses that B2 learners must master separately. As an adjective/noun it means "fundamental/root-level," appearing in formal discourse: 根本原因 (root cause), 根本问题 (fundamental issue). As an adverb before a negative verb, it acts as an intensifier meaning "not at all": 根本不知道 (doesn't know at all), 根本没有 (absolutely doesn't have).
The adverbial use with negatives is very common in spoken Chinese and can sometimes be emphatic or even dismissive in tone. Compare 根本不想去 (has absolutely no desire to go) with 不太想去 (doesn't really want to go).
Memory Hook
根 = root (of a tree). 本 = origin/base (also means "this" or "book" but here it means the trunk/base). 根本 is the root-and-trunk -- the absolute foundation. If you "don't at all" do something, the action has no roots, no basis whatsoever.