noun
The underground part of a plant that absorbs water and nutrients.
この木の根はとても深い。
The roots of this tree are very deep.
noun
root (of a tooth, hair, etc.); center (of a pimple, etc.)
The base or embedded part of something protruding from the body, such as a tooth, hair, or pimple.
歯の根が痛む。
The root of my tooth hurts.
にきびの根を押し出すのはよくない。
It's not good to squeeze out the core of a pimple.
noun
The fundamental cause or origin of something, often used in abstract or figurative contexts.
怠惰は諸悪の根だ。
Idleness is the root of all evil.
問題の根を探る必要がある。
We need to get to the root of the problem.
noun
A person's inherent character or disposition, often used in set phrases like 根はいい人 (basically a good person).
彼は根は悪い人ではない。
He is not a bad person at heart.
noun
fishing reef
A rocky area on the seabed where fish gather; a term used in fishing.
この辺りは根が多くて釣りに適している。
There are many reefs around here, making it good for fishing.
根源 is a more formal, abstract term for 'root' or 'source', often used in philosophical or scientific contexts, while 根 is the common word for physical and figurative roots.
ルーツ is a loanword from English 'roots', used for origins, ancestry, or cultural roots, whereas 根 is the native Japanese word covering both literal and figurative roots.
Native Japanese word. The kanji 根 is a phono-semantic compound with 木 (tree) and 艮 (stopping), suggesting the part of a tree that stops in the ground. The reading ね is the native Japanese pronunciation.