# 根本 root or root?

**URL:** <https://community.wanikani.com/t/%E6%A0%B9%E6%9C%AC-root-or-root/74304>\
**Category:** Bugs & Errors\
**Created:** [May 3, 2026, 6:45am UTC](https://community.wanikani.com/t/%E6%A0%B9%E6%9C%AC-root-or-root/74304 "2026-05-03T06:45:09Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![wojtek](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/wanikanicommunity/user_avatar/community.wanikani.com/wojtek/32/742193_2.png) [@wojtek](https://community.wanikani.com/u/wojtek)\
**Post date:** [May 3, 2026, 6:45am UTC](https://community.wanikani.com/t/%E6%A0%B9%E6%9C%AC-root-or-root/74304/1 "2026-05-03T06:45:09Z")

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I"m not sure if it’s an error or I’m just missing something but 根本 ([https://www.wanikani.com/vocabulary/根本](https://www.wanikani.com/vocabulary/%E6%A0%B9%E6%9C%AC)) has this description:

> The root origin is the root of something. Possibly even **more root than root** , but we’ll stick with root.

Shouldn’t there be “more **origin** than root”? I checked the dictionary and “根本” uses mostly something related to “source” or “origin” so it feels like it’s an error but I’m not native english so maybe is some funny idiom or whatnot that I just don’t get 😃

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**Author:** ![Fishing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/wanikanicommunity/user_avatar/community.wanikani.com/fishing/32/807532_2.png) [@Fishing](https://community.wanikani.com/u/Fishing)\
**Post date:** [May 3, 2026, 7:47am UTC](https://community.wanikani.com/t/%E6%A0%B9%E6%9C%AC-root-or-root/74304/2 "2026-05-03T07:47:47Z")

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It’s just trying to be funny, doesn’t really mean anything. WK being a bit silly. Possibly also trying to help lock in the meaning for you by repeating (as WK sometimes does). Not necessarily an error, just maybe a tad bit confusing depending on how you read it. Although the next part of the description reads:

> 根本 generally refers to the root cause or fundamental basis of something, like “the root of the problem” or “the fundamental principle.”

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**Author:** ![wojtek](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/wanikanicommunity/user_avatar/community.wanikani.com/wojtek/32/742193_2.png) [@wojtek](https://community.wanikani.com/u/wojtek)\
**Post date:** [May 3, 2026, 10:51am UTC](https://community.wanikani.com/t/%E6%A0%B9%E6%9C%AC-root-or-root/74304/3 "2026-05-03T10:51:58Z")

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> [@Fishing](#):
>
> 根本

yeah, it may be. I based it on the polish dictionary (I figured out that actually putting my native polish words in WK helps a lot with retention, despite being rather good with english – seems there is still some thing barrier :D). Alas, it lists:

- źródło - source, origin
- pochodzenie - background, origin
- podstawa - basis, foundation, root
- baza - basis, base
- geneza - genesis (~origin)
- istota - essence, substance
- esencja - essence

hence my conclussion that considered both “origin” and “root” building blocks they were suggesting that both “origin” and “root” could work (with the former “possibly being _more_” [relevant]) but they opted to go with “root” 😃

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**Author:** ![straille](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/wanikanicommunity/user_avatar/community.wanikani.com/straille/32/581859_2.png) [@straille](https://community.wanikani.com/u/straille)\
**Post date:** [May 3, 2026, 11:20am UTC](https://community.wanikani.com/t/%E6%A0%B9%E6%9C%AC-root-or-root/74304/4 "2026-05-03T11:20:12Z")

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they’re trying to go for “more x than x,” as in “very x,” rather than “more like x than y”  
i can certainly see the confusion, even for a native english speaker  
if “origin” feels “very root” to you, then go for it  
what would be a polish translation for “fundamental”? 🤔

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**Author:** ![wojtek](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/wanikanicommunity/user_avatar/community.wanikani.com/wojtek/32/742193_2.png) [@wojtek](https://community.wanikani.com/u/wojtek)\
**Post date:** [May 3, 2026, 12:14pm UTC](https://community.wanikani.com/t/%E6%A0%B9%E6%9C%AC-root-or-root/74304/5 "2026-05-03T12:14:47Z")

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> [@straille](#):
>
> what would be a polish translation for “fundamental”? 🤔

podstawowy (basic/essential/primary), **fundamentalny** (`/fun.da.mɛnˈtal.nɘ/`, yes, we are very creative 😉 but it comes from latin so there’s that: [fundamentalny - Wiktionary, the free dictionary](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/fundamentalny) ), zasadniczy (principal/elementary)