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

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

Tips

usage
Most common in the four-character set phrase 刨根问底 (páogēn-wèndǐ, '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