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根本

gēn běn
HSK 2.0 Level 5 HSK 3.0 Level 5 Noun Very common

Definitions

  1. 1. fundamental
  2. 2. basic
  3. 3. root
  4. 4. simply
  5. 5. absolutely (not)
  6. 6. (not) at all

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Word relationships

Related words

2 items
完全
wán quán

complete; whole

used to mean completely, but different usage pattern
彻底
chè dǐ

thorough

meaning thorough or completely, often with change

Synonyms

1 item
基本
jī běn

basic

used as an adjective meaning fundamental or basic

Usage notes

Common mistakes

根本 is used in negative sentences to mean 'not at all', e.g., 我根本不知道 (I don't know at all). Do not use it in positive statements to mean 'completely'.

Formality

In spoken Chinese, 压根儿 (yà gēnr) is a more colloquial way to express 'not at all' in negative sentences.

Grammar

Guides that feature 根本

Jump into a full guide with fill-in-the-blank drills. Clicking will load the page and move you to the top.

1 guide
HSK 2.0 Level 5+ HSK 3.0 Level 5+ 7 min
Mood Adverbs 反正, 根本, 绝对, 白, 刚好 and 可

Say “anyway” with 反正, “not at all” with 根本, “absolutely” with 绝对, “for nothing” with 白, “just right” with 刚好, and add emphasis with 可.

Reading: gēn běn Open guide

Example Sentences

3 shown
我 根本 不明白他的意思。
I don't understand what he means at all.
根本 沒辦法用這本書。
Source: Tatoeba.org (ID 6195275)
我 根本 不信。
Source: Tatoeba.org (ID 6101308)

Sentence data courtesy of Tatoeba.org. AI-generated examples are marked with this icon.

Words Containing 根本

根本法
gēn běn fǎ

fundamental law

Child Words of 根本

本
běn

root

根
gēn

root