How to say “root” in Chinese
root; (not) at all
“Root” in Chinese is 根本, gēn běn: the meaning, a recording of how it sounds, the characters stroke by stroke and examples.
How to pronounce it
根本 is read gēn běn: 2 syllables. The tone is part of the word: with another melody you get another word, or just a jumble of sounds.
How to write it
On the left, 木 “tree”. The right part is the same as in 跟 gēn and 很 hěn.
木 “tree” with a stroke at the root.
Strokes go in order: top to bottom and left to right, horizontal before vertical. Tap a character to open its page, with the strokes shown large and the words it appears in. To train your hand, print a handwriting sheet for “根本”.
Examples
Sentences from the course lessons with 根本. Tap the sound icon to listen.
- 我劝了他半天，他根本不听。wǒquànletābàntiān,tāgēnběnbùtīngI spent ages urging him, and he won't listen at all.
- 我根本不认识他wǒgēnběnbúrènshitāI don't know him at all.
- 我根本不相信他的话wǒgēnběnbùxiāngxìntādehuàI don't believe what he says at all.
More words from the lesson “Persuading the stubborn”
Look up another word in the Chinese–English dictionary: in English, in pinyin or in characters.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say “root” in Chinese?
“Root” in Chinese is 根本, pinyin gēnběn.
What does 根本 mean?
根本 (gēnběn) means “root; (not) at all”.
How do you write 根本?
根本 is 2 characters: 根 (gēn) — root; 本 (běn) — root; measure word: books. The stroke order of each one is shown step by step on this page.
How do you pronounce 根本?
根本 is read gēnběn. Tones: gēn — first tone, běn — third tone. The page has a native speaker recording.
“root” in the lesson “Persuading the stubborn”
This word is from the topic “Opinions and arguments” of HSK 5. In the lesson you hear it in a dialogue, build a sentence with it and say it out loud. Start for free, no sign-up needed.
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