Chinese phrase
根本原因是〜吗？ gēn běn yuán yīn shì 〜 ma
Meaning
Is ___ the root cause?
When to use it
Asks if something is the main cause of a problem. It checks a suspected explanation and suits a calm, analytical discussion.
Example dialogue
孩子最近上课总是打瞌睡，成绩也下来了。 hái zi zuì jìn shàng kè zǒng shì dǎ kē shuì chéng jì yě xià lái le
The child keeps dozing off in class lately, and their grades have dropped too.
你觉得根本原因是睡眠不足吗？ nǐ jué de gēn běn yuán yīn shì shuì mián bù zú ma
Do you think lack of sleep is the root cause?