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根っこ (ねっこ) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

根ねっこ

ね

っ

こ

○

Common word›JLPTN1›Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

1

root (of a plant)

Specifically the root of a plant, often with a colloquial or slightly childish feel compared to 根 (ね).

雑ざっ草そうの根ねっこをしっかり抜ぬいてください。
Please pull out the weed roots thoroughly.

2

stump (of a tree)

Refers to the remaining stump after a tree has been cut down; the base part still in the ground.

木きを切きったあと、根ねっこが残のこっている。
After cutting the tree, the stump remains.

3

root cause; origin; source

Figurative use for the fundamental cause or origin of a problem, similar to 'root' in English.

この問もん題だいの根ねっこは、コミュニケーション不ぶ足そくだ。
The root of this problem is a lack of communication.

Usage patterns

〈物もの〉が根ねっこを張はるfor a plant to put down roots
この木きは地じ面めん深ふかくまで根ねっこを張はっている。
This tree has put down its roots deep into the ground.
根ねっこから〈動どう詞し〉to do something down to the very root
この問もん題だいは根ねっこから直なおさなければならない。
This problem needs to be fixed at its very root.
〈事こと〉の根ねっこにあるto lie at the root of something
彼かれの不ふ安あんの根ねっこにあるのは過か去この失しっ敗ぱいだ。
What lies at the root of his anxiety is a past failure.

Kanji

根root, radical, head (pimple)
子child, sign of the rat, 11PM-1AM

Related words

根ねN2
根 is the standard, more formal word for 'root' (of a plant, tooth, hair, etc.) and is also used figuratively, while 根っこ is more colloquial and usually implies a tangible, physical root or stump.
切きり株かぶ sense 2
切り株 specifically means the stump left after a tree is cut down, whereas 根っこ can refer to that same stump but also to a living plant's root or an abstract root cause.
原げん因いんN4sense 3
原因 is the neutral, formal word for 'cause', while 根っこ is a colloquial, vivid way to talk about the fundamental root cause of a problem.
根ね元もとN1
根っこ is a casual, almost childish word for a root or base, whereas 根元 is neutral and can be used in more formal or technical contexts.

Don't confuse with

根ねっからN1
根っこ is a noun meaning 'root' or 'stump' of a plant, while 根っから is an adverb meaning 'by nature'; the shared 根っ- makes them easy to mix up despite unrelated meanings.

Word family

首くび根ねっこ
scruff of the neck

Written forms

根ねっこUsage92%
Standard kanji-kana spelling; the most common written form.
根ねっ子こUsage5%
Alternate kanji spelling using 子; less common but recognized.
ねっこUsage3%
Kana spelling; used in casual or child-oriented writing, or when avoiding kanji.

Etymology

Derived from 根 (ね, 'root') with the diminutive suffix っこ, adding a colloquial or concrete nuance.