追根

zhuīgēn

verb #31,008

Meanings

1 to trace something back to its source
2 to get to the bottom of something
3 to investigate the root cause

Characters

to chase; pursue

Examples

他喜欢追根问底。

Tā xǐhuān zhuīgēn wèn dǐ.

He loves getting to the bottom of things.

追根这个问题要从十年前说起。

Zhuīgēn zhège wèntí yào cóng shínián qián shuōqǐ.

Tracing this issue back, it goes back ten years.

Tips

usage

Most commonly appears in the four-character set phrase 追根问底 (zhuīgēn-wèndǐ) or 追根究底 (zhuīgēn-jiūdǐ), "to chase the root and ask the bottom" — i.e., relentlessly investigate. Standalone 追根 is a shortened, somewhat literary form.

Stroke Order

追 zhuī

根 gēn