根本 + 不／没
(not) at all; simply (not)
Structure
主语 根本 不／没（有） 动词
What it means
“(Not) at all, simply (not)”: strengthens a negative, often with a note of protest.
How it is built
Subject + 根本 + 不／没（有）+ verb: 我根本不认识这位阿姨 (I don’t know this lady at all). 我根本没说过这话！
When to use it
For a strong denial or protest. Without a negative, 根本 means “fundamentally” (从根本上解决) or, as a noun, “the root”.
Watch out
根本 goes before 不 or 没, never after: ✗ 不根本知道 ✓ 根本不知道.
Examples
我根本不认识这位阿姨，可她一见面就叫出了我的名字。
I do not know this lady at all, yet she called me by name the moment she saw me.
过年只回家三天，根本没时间看望所有的亲戚。
Home for just three days at New Year, there is simply no time to visit every relative.
Learn this in Lesson 38 · HSK 5–6: 亲戚怎么叫 (What to call your relatives)
A dialogue, a reading, word cards with audio and a drill that uses it, in Learn Chinese with Bao. The first lessons of every level are free.
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