根

根	U+6839, 根 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-6839

← 核
[U+6838]

CJK Unified Ideographs

栺 →
[U+683A]

Translingual

Stroke order

Han character

根 (Kangxi radical 75, 木+6, 10 strokes, cangjie input 木日女 (DAV), four-corner 4793₂, composition ⿰木艮)

References

KangXi: page 524, character 7

Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 14745

Dae Jaweon: page 912, character 9

Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 2, page 1208, character 2

Unihan data for U+6839

Chinese

simp. and trad.		根

Glyph origin

Characters in the same phonetic series (艮) (Zhengzhang, 2003)

	Old Chinese
艱	*krɯːn
齦	kʰrɯːnʔ, kʰɯːnʔ, *ŋɯn
眼	*ŋrɯːnʔ
蛝	*ɡrɯːn
限	*ɡrɯːnʔ
硍	*ɡrɯːnʔ
豤	kʰɯːnʔ, kʰɯːnʔ, *kʰuːn
詪	ɡlɯːnʔ, kɯːnʔ, *kɯːns
根	*kɯːn
跟	*kɯːn
珢	kɯːn, kɯːns, *ŋrɯn
艮	*kɯːns
茛	*kɯːns
墾	*kʰɯːnʔ
懇	*kʰɯːnʔ
垠	ŋɯːn, ŋrɯn, *ŋɯn
泿	ŋɯːn, ŋrɯn
痕	*ɡɯːn
拫	*ɡɯːn
鞎	*ɡɯːn
很	*ɡɯːnʔ
恨	*ɡɯːns
銀	*ŋrɯn
檭	*ŋrɯn

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *kɯːn) : semantic 木 + phonetic 艮 (OC *kɯːns).

Etymology

Possibly of Austroasiatic origin (Schuessler, 2007). Compare Proto-Mon-Khmer *(d)kər (“tree, plant”) (whence Proto-Vietic *kəl > Vietnamese cây, Muong câl), *d₂gəl ~ d₂g(əə)l (“trunk; stump”) (whence Khmer គល់ (kŭəl, “stump; floating log”), Proto-Monic *t(l)gəl (“stump”)).

Alternatively, Smith (2011) proposes a derivation from 荄 (OC *kɯː, “grassroot”) with redundant nominalizing suffix *-n. See 荄 for more.

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Standard)
(Pinyin): gēn (gen¹)
(Zhuyin): ㄍㄣ
(Chengdu, SP): gen¹
Cantonese
(Guangzhou, Jyutping): gan¹
(Taishan, Wiktionary): gin¹
Hakka
(Sixian, PFS): kîn
(Meixian, Guangdong): gin¹
Jin (Wiktionary): geng¹
Min Bei (KCR): gṳ́ing
Min Dong (BUC): gṳ̆ng / gŏng
Min Nan
(Hokkien, POJ): kun / kin / kirn
(Teochew, Peng'im): geng¹ / gêng¹ / ging¹
Wu (Wiktionary): ken (T1)

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: gēn
  - Zhuyin: ㄍㄣ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: gen
  - Wade–Giles: kên¹
  - Yale: gēn
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: gen
  - Palladius: гэнь (gɛnʹ)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kən⁵⁵/
- (Standard Chinese, erhua-ed) (根兒／根儿)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: gēnr
  - Zhuyin: ㄍㄣㄦ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: genr
  - Wade–Giles: kênrh¹
  - Yale: gēnr
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: gel
  - Palladius: гэnр (gɛnr)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kəɻ⁵⁵/
- (Chengdu)
  - Sichuanese Pinyin: gen¹
  - Scuanxua Ladinxua Xin Wenz: gen
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kən⁵⁵/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)⁺
  - Jyutping: gan¹
  - Yale: gān
  - Cantonese Pinyin: gan¹
  - Guangdong Romanization: gen¹
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kɐn⁵⁵/
- (Taishanese, Taicheng)
  - Wiktionary: gin¹
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kin³³/
Hakka
- (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Meinong)
  - Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: kîn
  - Hakka Romanization System: gin´
  - Hagfa Pinyim: gin¹
  - Sinological IPA: /kin²⁴/
- (Meixian)
  - Guangdong: gin¹
  - Sinological IPA: /cin⁴⁴/
Jin
- (Taiyuan)⁺
  - Wiktionary: geng¹
  - Sinological IPA (old-style): /kə̃ŋ¹¹/
Min Bei
- (Jian'ou)
  - Kienning Colloquial Romanized: gṳ́ing
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kyiŋ⁵⁴/
Min Dong
- (Fuzhou)
  - Bàng-uâ-cê: gṳ̆ng / gŏng
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kyŋ⁵⁵/, /kouŋ⁵⁵/

Note:

gṳ̆ng - vernacular (“root; descendant; base”);
gŏng - literary (“source; basis”).

Min Nan
- (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Jinjiang, Taipei, Lukang, Hsinchu, Kinmen, Magong, Philippines)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: kun
  - Tâi-lô: kun
  - Phofsit Daibuun: kwn
  - IPA (Xiamen, Taipei, Kinmen): /kun⁴⁴/
  - IPA (Quanzhou, Jinjiang, Lukang, Philippines): /kun³³/
- (Hokkien: Zhangzhou, Kaohsiung, Tainan, Yilan, Taichung)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: kin
  - Tâi-lô: kin
  - Phofsit Daibuun: kyn
  - IPA (Zhangzhou, Kaohsiung, Tainan, Yilan): /kin⁴⁴/
- (Hokkien: Sanxia)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: kirn
  - Tâi-lô: kirn
- (Teochew)
  - Peng'im: geng¹ / gêng¹ / ging¹
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: kṳng / keng / king
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kɯŋ³³/, /keŋ³³/, /kiŋ³³/

Note:

geng1 - Chaozhou, Shantou, Chenghai;
gêng1 - Jieyang;
ging1 - Chaoyang.

Wu
- (Shanghainese)
  - Wiktionary: ken (T1)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kəɲ⁵³/

Middle Chinese: /kən/

Rime
Character	根
Reading #	1/1
Initial (聲)	見 (28)
Final (韻)	痕 (53)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	I
Fanqie	古痕切
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/kən/
Pan Wuyun	/kən/
Shao Rongfen	/kən/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/kən/
Li Rong	/kən/
Wang Li	/kən/
Bernard Karlgren	/kən/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	gēn
Expected Cantonese Reflex	gan¹

Old Chinese
(Baxter–Sagart): /*[k]ˤə[r]/
(Zhengzhang): /*kɯːn/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	根
Reading #	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	gēn
Middle Chinese	‹ kon ›
Old Chinese	/*[k]ˁə[r]/
English	root, trunk
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. [t] as coda may in fact be -t or -p; Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	根
Reading #	1/1
No.	3920
Phonetic component	艮
Rime group	文
Rime subdivision	1
Corresponding MC rime	根
Old Chinese	/*kɯːn/

Definitions

根

(botany) root (Classifier: 條／条 m)
base; basis; foundation
family root; ancestors
descendant; offspring
source; origin
(figurative) penis (Classifier: 條／条 m)
(Buddhism) indriya; faculty; spiritual faculty
(arithmetic) root
Synonym: 方根 (fānggēn)
(mathematics) solution to an algebraic equation (Classifier: 個／个)
(chemistry) radical
(computing) root
根目錄／根目录 ― gēn mùlù ― root directory
根分區／根分区 ― gēn fēnqū ― root partition
completely; from the source
Classifier for long, slender objects, such as cigarettes, fingers, candles, ropes, and guitar strings. ⇒ all nouns using this classifier

Compounds

Derived terms from 根

主根
二年根
二根
五根
假根
公根
六根
刨根
刨根究底
剪草除根
劣根性 (liègēnxìng)
同根
吐根
呼吸根
命根 (mìnggēn)
命根子 (mìnggēnzi)
咬定牙根
咬舌根
咬菜根
善根
嚼舌根
嚼菜根
埋根
城根
培根 (péigēn)
娼根
字根
存根 (cúngēn)
孽根
安根子
宿根
密西根州
密西根湖
屋根
山打根 (Shāndǎgēn)
山根 (shāngēn)
山豆根 (shāndòugēn)
平方根 (píngfānggēn)
性根
意根
慧根
挖老根
掌根
搜根究底
方根 (fānggēn)
本根
板根
根刷
根勘
根原
根嗣
根器
根基 (gēnjī)
根子 (gēnzi)
根底 (gēndǐ)
根式 (gēnshì)
根性 (gēnxìng)
根情
根插
根本 (gēnběn)
根本法 (gēnběnfǎ)
根朽枝枯
根柢
根株
根椽片瓦
根治 (gēnzhì)
根深固本
根深柢固
根深蒂固 (gēnshēndìgù)
根源 (gēnyuán)
根特
根由 (gēnyóu)
根瘤 (gēnliú)
根瘤菌 (gēnliújūn)
根究 (gēnjiū)
根系
根芽
根苗 (gēnmiáo)
根蒂
根蘗繁殖
根部
根除 (gēnchú)

根音
水根
深根固本 (shēngēngùběn)
深根固柢
深根固蒂
混嚼舌根
片瓦根椽
牙根 (yágēn)
牙根管
獃根
獃根子
玄根
球根 (qiúgēn)
球根植物
瓦根基 (Wǎgēnjī)
甜根子草
生根 (shēnggēn)
留根
病根 (bìnggēn)
直根 (zhígēn)
票根 (piàogēn)
立方根 (lìfānggēn)
箱根 (Xiānggēn)
翦草除根
老花根
耳根 (ěrgēn)
耳根子
胚根
胚根鞘
臊根
舌根 (shégēn)
舌根音
舌根鼻音
花根
茅根 (máogēn)
草根大使
菌根
菜根
落地生根 (luòdìshēnggēn)
葛根 (gégēn)
起根立地
踏地知根
辣菜根子
追根究柢
道根
酸根
重根 (chónggēn)
阿根廷 (Āgēntíng)
除根 (chúgēn)
食用根
高根 (gāogēn)
鼻根 (bígēn)
扎根 (zhāgēn)
側根／侧根
六根清淨／六根清净
刨根問底／刨根问底 (páogēnwèndǐ)
剗草除根／刬草除根
卑爾根／卑尔根 (Bēi'ěrgēn)
叢塊根／丛块根
吐根鹼／吐根碱
土長根生／土长根生
培根論／培根论
塊根／块根 (kuàigēn)
墊根兒／垫根儿
墊舌根／垫舌根
壓根兒／压根儿 (yàgēnr)
大根腳／大根脚
尋根／寻根 (xúngēn)
尋根問底／寻根问底
尋根究底／寻根究底 (xúngēnjiūdǐ)
底根兒／底根儿
引繩批根／引绳批根
引繩排根／引绳排根
拔樹尋根／拔树寻根
挖牆根／挖墙根
提根兒／提根儿
搜根剔齒／搜根剔齿
搜根問底／搜根问底
斬草除根／斩草除根 (zhǎncǎochúgēn)
斷根／断根 (duàngēn)
斷根絕種／断根绝种
根兒／根儿 (gēnr)

根兒底下／根儿底下
根問／根问
根壓／根压
根壯葉茂／根壮叶茂
根尋／根寻
根指數／根指数
根據／根据 (gēnjù)
根據地／根据地 (gēnjùdì)
根數／根数 (gēnshù)
根氣／根气
根深葉茂／根深叶茂
根狀莖／根状茎
根生土長／根生土长
根管治療／根管治疗 (gēnguǎn zhìliáo)
根絆／根绊
根絕／根绝 (gēnjué)
根緣／根缘
根腳／根脚 (gēnjiǎo)
根莖／根茎 (gēnjīng)
根菜類／根菜类 (gēncàilèi)
根號／根号 (gēnhào)
根詞／根词
根頭／根头
業根／业根
槃根錯節／槃根错节
樹倒根摧／树倒根摧
樹根／树根 (shùgēn)
歸根／归根 (guīgēn)
歸根究柢／归根究柢 (guīgēnjiūdǐ)
歸根結柢／归根结柢
氣根／气根 (qìgēn)
沒根基／没根基
沒根藤／没根藤
海蔥根／海葱根
游談無根／游谈无根
澆梅根／浇梅根
烏頭根／乌头根
無根水／无根水
無根無絆／无根无绊
無根無蒂／无根无蒂
無理根／无理根
牆根／墙根 (qiánggēn)
牙根癢癢／牙根痒痒
獨根孤種／独根孤种
病根兒／病根儿
百脈根／百脉根
盤根問底／盘根问底
盤根錯節／盘根错节 (pángēncuòjié)
禍根／祸根 (huògēn)
窮根尋葉／穷根寻叶
窮根究底／穷根究底 (qiónggēnjiūdǐ)
結根／结根
老樹盤根／老树盘根
耳根廂／耳根厢
耳根清淨／耳根清净
耳根軟／耳根软 (ěrgēnruǎn)
聽牆根／听墙根
芝草無根／芝草无根
花根本豔／花根本艳
菜根譚／菜根谭
落葉歸根／落叶归根 (luòyèguīgēn)
葉落歸根／叶落归根 (yèluòguīgēn)
蘆根／芦根 (lúgēn)
蘭根白芷／兰根白芷
見肉生根／见肉生根
詞根／词根 (cígēn)
語根／语根 (yǔgēn)
起根兒／起根儿
起根發腳／起根发脚
跌根頭／跌根头
軸根系／轴根系
連根拔掉／连根拔掉
連根拔起／连根拔起 (liángēnbáqǐ)
都根主兒／都根主儿
鈍根／钝根
銀根／银根 (yíngēn)
錯節盤根／错节盘根
雲根／云根
雷根主義／雷根主义 (léigēnzhǔyì)
鬚根／须根
齒根／齿根 (chǐgēn)
龍膽根／龙胆根

References

“根”, in 漢語多功能字庫 (Multi-function Chinese Character Database)‎, 香港中文大學／香港中文大学 (the Chinese University of Hong Kong), 2014–

Japanese

Kanji

根

(grade 3 “Kyōiku” kanji)

root
base, foundation

Readings

Go-on: こん (kon, Jōyō)
Kan-on: こん (kon, Jōyō)
Kun: ね (ne, 根, Jōyō)

Compounds

大(だい)根(こん) (daikon): daikon, mooli
男(だん)根(こん) (dankon), 男(なん)根(こん) (nankon): penis
蓮(れん)根(こん) (renkon), 蓮(はす)根(ね) (hasune): lotus root
根(こん)気(き) (konki): patience, perseverance
羽(は)根(ね) (hane): feather, wing

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
根
ね Grade: 3
kun’yomi

Pronunciation

Kun’yomi

(Tokyo) ね [néꜜ] (Atamadaka – [1])[1][2]
IPA^(key): [ne̞]

Noun

根(ね) • (ne)

a root
the source; the root
nature; the character one has by birth

Synonyms

根(ね)っ子(こ) (nekko)

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
根
こん Grade: 3
on’yomi

Pronunciation

On’yomi

(Tokyo) こん [kóꜜǹ] (Atamadaka – [1])[1][2]
IPA^(key): [kõ̞ɴ]

(perseverance, patience):

On’yomi

(Tokyo) こん [kòń] (Heiban – [0])[2]
IPA^(key): [kõ̞ɴ]

Noun

根(こん) • (kon)

perseverance, patience
(arithmetic) root

Synonyms

(perseverance, patience): 根(こん)気(き) (konki)

References

2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN
1998, NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 (NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: NHK, →ISBN

Korean

Hanja

根 (eumhun 뿌리 근 (ppuri geun))

Hanja form^? of 근 (“root; base; stump”).

Compounds

根源 (근원, geunwon)

Okinawan

Kanji

根 (hiragana にー, romaji nī)

Compounds

根気 (くんち, kunchi, “perseverance”)
大根 (でーくに, dēkuni, “daikon”)
羽根 (はに, hani, “feather”)

Etymology

Cognate with Japanese 根 (ne).

Noun

根 (hiragana にー, romaji nī)

root

Vietnamese

Han character

根: Hán Nôm readings: căn, cằn, cỗi

This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.

[DJR-1] 2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN

[NHK-2] 1998, NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 (NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: NHK, →ISBN