Chinese word dictionary

追根溯源

zhuī gēn sù yuán · to pursue sth back to its origins; to trace back to the source; to get to the bottom of sth

Practice word

Word information

Simplified追根溯源

Traditional追根溯源

Pinyinzhuī gēn sù yuán

Part of speechDictionary

HSK 3.0Not listed

HSK 2.0Not listed

Character breakdown

Study each Hanzi separately, then return to the complete word so pronunciation, meaning, and movement stay connected.

追zhuī

to pursue, to chase after; to expel

根gēn

root, basis, foundation

溯sù

to paddle upstream, to go against the current; to trace the source; formerly

源yuán

spring; source, root, head; surname

How to learn 追根溯源

Listen once without reading, repeat the pinyin with its tones, then write every character in sequence. Finally, recall the complete meaning instead of memorizing each character as an isolated translation.

When the word appears in a sentence, check whether its part of speech and meaning match the definition shown here. Chinese words can change nuance with context.

Related vocabulary

Words with the same characters

Compare how a familiar Hanzi changes meaning inside another word.

根据gēnjù

according to; based on; basis; foundation; CL:個|个[ge4]

根gēn

root; basis; classifier for long slender objects, e.g. cigarettes, guitar strings; CL:條|条[tiao2]; radical (chemistry)

根本gēnběn

fundamental; basic; root; simply; absolutely (not); (not) at all; CL:個|个[ge4]

来源láiyuán

source (of information etc); origin

追zhuī

to chase; to pursue; to look into; to investigate; to reminisce; to recall; to court (one's beloved); to binge-watch (a TV drama); retroactively; posthumously

追求zhuīqiú

to pursue (a goal etc) stubbornly; to seek after; to woo