根由

Mandarin · pinyin gēn yóu

Meanings

  1. the whys and the wherefores
  2. the detailed story
  3. root cause
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Characters in this entry

根
gēn · root, base(d on); foundation
由
yóu · cause, reason; from
Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

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Mandarin tones

1–2 · gen1 you2

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Follow a written form into the eight pinned witnesses: Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Sunzi and the Mao Shijing. A match is a place to investigate; it does not prove that a modern dictionary sense fits the passage.

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Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 1 sense · 1 Cantonese reading

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

gan1 jau4

Cantonese word readings for 根由. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.

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Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.

noun

  1. cause; origin

Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history

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