根源

gēn yuán

HSK 2.0 Level 6 HSK 3.0 Level 7 Noun Uncommon

Definitions

1 item

cause

emphasizes the initial cause of an event, not the fundamental root

1 item

fundamental

as in the root cause or fundamental origin of a problem

Often used with verbs like 追溯 (trace) or 挖出 (dig out), e.g., 追溯问题的根源 (trace the root of the problem).

2 shown

贫穷的根源很复杂。

The roots of poverty are complex.

当务之急是找到问题的根源。

The top priority is to find the root of the problem.

AI-generated examples are marked with this icon.

to trace something to its source (idiom)

root

root