刨根

páogēn
verb

Meanings

  1. 1 lit. to dig up the roots
  2. 2 fig. to get to the bottom of a matter; to probe a question relentlessly

Examples

HSK 3
Háizi zǒng ài páogēn, wèn gè méiwán.
Kids always want to dig deeper and ask question after question.
HSK 5
Jìzhě fēi yào páogēn-wèndǐ bùkě.
The reporter was determined to dig down to the very bottom of it.

Tips

usage
Most common in the four-character set phrase 刨根问底 ('to dig up the roots and ask after the bottom') - the standard way to say 'get to the bottom of something'. The bare verb 刨根 alone is colloquial and a bit folksy.

Stroke Order

páo
gēn