根

gēn
HSK 5
#352 most
frequent character
root, basis
noun
Measure Word
Measure words:条 tiáo

Character breakdown

Source: Make Me a Hanzi.

根 joins 木 tree as the meaning part with 艮 gèn as the sound part. Its first meaning was 'root of a tree'. From there it broadened to 'root' and then to 'origin, source'.

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Example Sentences

这棵树的根很深。
zhè kē shù de gēn hěn shēn 。
The roots of this tree are very deep.
我买了一根香烟。
wǒ mǎi le yīgēn xiāngyān 。
I bought a cigarette.
吉他有六根弦。
jítā yǒu liùgēn xián 。
The guitar has six strings.

Words with similar meanings

根部gēnbù
base
根部 emphasizes the part of the root specifically and is often used in a more technical or formal context.

Homophones

HSK 3
跟gēn
heel, to follow closely, to go with

Words Starting With 根

根据gēn jù
according to; based on; basis; foundation
根本gēn běn
fundamental; basic; root; simply; absolutely (not); (not) at all
根深蒂固gēn shēn dì gù
deep-rooted (problem etc)
根源gēn yuán
origin; root (cause)

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Public Lists with 根

HSK 5
All words for the HSK 5 test
Measure Words
Commonly used measure words (个, 张, 本, etc.) across various contexts.
Plants
Trees, flowers, crops, herbs, and other plant-related terms.