追根溯源

zhuīgēn-sùyuán

idiom

Meanings

1 to trace something back to its origins
2 to get to the bottom of a matter
3 to pursue the root cause

Characters

to pursue; to trace

to go upstream; to trace back

Examples

要解决这个问题，必须追根溯源。

Yào jiějué zhège wèntí, bìxū zhuīgēnsùyuán.

To solve this problem, we must trace it back to its root.

追根溯源，这种习俗起源于宋代。

Zhuīgēnsùyuán, zhèzhǒng xísú qǐyuán yú Sòng dài.

Tracing back to its origin, this custom dates from the Song dynasty.

记者追根溯源，终于查清了事件的真相。

Jìzhě zhuīgēnsùyuán, zhōngyú cháqīng leshì jiàn de zhēnxiàng.

The reporter dug down to the source and finally uncovered the truth of the incident.

Tips

usage

Near-synonym of 追本溯源; 追根溯源 is slightly more common in modern journalism. Often used as a sentence-opening adverbial: 追根溯源，... (tracing it back, ...).

memory

根 (root) and 源 (source) are the literal endpoints; 追 (pursue) and 溯 (go upstream) are the verbs. Literally 'pursue the root, go upstream to the source'.

Stroke Order

追 zhuī

根 gēn

溯 sù

源 yuán