Definition
根源 (gēn yuán) as a noun means 'root cause' — the fundamental origin of a problem or situation, stronger and deeper than 原因 (yuán yīn 'reason'). As a verb it means 'to stem from', similar to 源于 (yuán yú) but slightly more formal. It differs from 来源 (lái yuán 'source'), which is more concrete (e.g., source of information).
noun
root causeorigin
verb
to originate fromto stem from
Examples
- 根源。Wǒmen yào cóng gēn yuán shàng jiějué zhège wèntí.We need to solve this problem at its root.
- 根源。Tā de chénggōng gēn yuán yú duō nián de jiānchí.His success stems from years of persistence.
- 根源？Zhè chǎng chōngtū de gēn yuán shì shénme?What is the root cause of this conflict?
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