HSK 5
根本 + negative
gēnběn + negative
at all
Structure
Subject + 根本 + 不 / 没有 / 极少 + Verb/Adjective
How it works
The word '根本' (gēnběn) means 'at all' or 'simply' when followed by a negative like 不 (bù), 没有 (méiyǒu), or a negative potential complement. It is used to emphasize that a situation is completely contrary to expectation or that an action is impossible despite effort. It adds a strong tone of frustration, certainty, or simplification to the sentence.
Examples
既然你不想去，我根本不会强迫你。
Jìrán nǐ bùxiǎng qù, wǒ gēnběn búhuì qiǎngpò nǐ.
Since you don't want to go, I won't force you at all.
这个问题太难了，我根本没听懂。
Zhège wèntí tài nán le, wǒ gēnběn méi tīngdǒng.
This question is too difficult; I didn't understand it at all.
你说的话跟我看到的根本不一样。
Nǐ shuō de huà gēn wǒ kàndào de gēnběn bù yīyàng.
What you said is not the same at all as what I saw.
Common mistakes
Placement of 根本 after the negative particle (e.g., saying '不根本' instead of '根本不').
Tip
Think of '根本' as 'completely' or 'from the root.' If you can replace it with 'totally/absolutely not' in English, it's likely the right place to use it.
More HSK 5 grammar
See 根本 + negative in real Chinese
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