Chinese word

根本

Pronunciation

Pinyingēn běn

Meaning

  • adverbat all

Example

我根本没时间。wǒ gēn běn méi shí jiān

I don't have any time at all.

Illustration for 根本 (at all)

More examples

他根本不懂这道题。tā gēn běn bù dǒng zhè dào tí

He doesn't understand this problem at all.

Core concept

A matter is judged at its deepest base: if it fails there, nothing remains to support it.

Common phrases

  • 根本不懂gēn běn bù dǒng

    not understand at all

  • 根本没时间gēn běn méi shí jiān

    have no time at all

  • 根本不行gēn běn bù xíng

    not work at all

Similar words

一点都不yì diǎn dōu bù: Shows that something does not happen or apply even a little.
完全wán quán: Marks something as complete in every part.

Definition in Chinese

作为副词表示完全、彻底，常在否定句中使用，相当于“全然不、一点也不”，用于强调某事完全不存在或不成立。zuò wéi fù cí biǎo shì wán quán chè dǐ cháng zài fǒu dìng jù zhōng shǐ yòng xiāng dāng yú quán rán bù yì diǎn yě bù yòng yú qiáng diào mǒu shì wán quán bù cún zài huò bù chéng lì

Word origin

根 (gēn, "root") + 本 (běn, "base") names the deepest foundation, so the adverb places a claim at that foundation and can make a negative statement total.

Usage tips

  • English often puts its matching emphasis after a negative verb, but this Chinese adverb usually comes before the negative part, so the strong denial appears early.

Other meanings

  • fundamentallyadverb
  • basisnoun

Opposites

Word lists with this word