根本 (gēnběn) — fundamental; basic; at all (in negatives: 根本不 = not at all)

entries → 根本

TSUMUGU · TOCFL 4 (est.) · 詞

根本 word · TOCFL 4 (est.)

根本＝根＋本

ㄍㄣㄅㄣˇ · gēnběn

adjective/adverb — fundamental; basic; at all (in negatives: 根本不 = not at all)

字源 FORM — what the parts do

根root (根部的根)gēn木 (tree) + 艮 (phonetic gèn) — the root running below the tree

本root, origin; capital (根本的本)běna short horizontal stroke at the base of 木 marks where the root is

根本，根部的根，根本的本。

故事 STORY — a scene to remember it by

根（木+艮）在土下；本（木）底一橫，標在根上——同一棵樹，兩筆都指根。

根 marks the underground tendril (木 tree + 艮 phonetic); 本 marks the base of the trunk with a stroke (木 + 一 root-mark) — two different strokes pointing to the same root.

字源記憶法