CYChengyu Dictionary

Chengyu meaning

根深蒂固 (gēn shēn dì gù)

deeply rooted and hard to change

Plain Answer

Source: Root-and-stem metaphor in classical and modern Chinese. Treated here as modern usage; read it first as a sentence-level judgment.

Core meaning: 根深蒂固 means deeply rooted and hard to change: Used for beliefs, habits, systems, prejudices, or influences that have been established so deeply that surface changes are not enough.

Practice this meaningRead the story
Label
neutral / common written
Best objects
belief change, organizational habit, social attitude
Do not use when
Do not use 根深蒂固 for a scene that only shares one surface word with the meaning. If the problem is closer to 本末倒置 or the contrast points toward 冰消瓦解, choose that nearby entry instead of stretching this one.

Use: Use 根深蒂固 when the belief change sentence shows the object, cause, and tone clearly. Avoid: Avoid 根深蒂固 when the sentence only sounds related, lacks evidence, or needs a plainer word.

belief change这种观念根深蒂固，不能只靠一次讲座改变。Zhè zhǒng guānniàn gēnshēndìgù, bùnéng zhǐ kào yī cì jiǎngzuò gǎibiàn.This belief is deeply rooted and cannot be changed by one lecture.

Next: Read the examples, then compare 本末倒置 before practicing 根深蒂固 in the focused quiz.

Often studied with: 本末倒置, 沧海桑田, 刻舟求剑

Read This First

根深蒂固 is introduced here through a modern usage entry rather than a fixed ancient anecdote; the source label is Root-and-stem metaphor in classical and modern Chinese, and the page separates that background from modern sentence choice.

根深蒂固 means deeply rooted and hard to change. The important first reading is Used for beliefs, habits, systems, prejudices, or influences that have been established so deeply that surface changes are not enough. This is a neutral phrase in normal use, so the sentence must show the judgment clearly.

Use 根深蒂固 when the object, cause, and tone match examples such as belief change, organizational habit, social attitude; then compare 本末倒置 and 沧海桑田 before writing your own sentence.

Avoid 根深蒂固 when the sentence only shares a broad topic, when the tone would be unfair to the person being described, or when a plainer word would be clearer than a chengyu.

Start with this cue: belief change plus a visible reason.

Meaning and Translation Notes

Used for beliefs, habits, systems, prejudices, or influences that have been established so deeply that surface changes are not enough.

Literal meaning

deep roots and firm stem base

  • 根 / root
  • 深 / deep
  • 蒂 / stem base
  • 固 / firm

English equivalents

  • deeply rooted plain

    Best for ideas, habits, and social patterns.

  • entrenched near

    Useful for institutions, bias, or resistant systems.

  • hard to change because it is deep plain

    Clear for learner explanation.

How To Use It

Use 根深蒂固 when the reader can see why deeply rooted and hard to change is the exact judgment, not just the topic. A strong sentence names the actor, the thing being judged, and the evidence that makes this idiom more precise than an ordinary adjective.

  • Use it for something with depth, history, or repeated reinforcement.
  • It is often neutral-diagnostic, but can become critical when describing bias or bad habits.
  • The phrase works for ideas, habits, systems, influence, and assumptions.

Common Mistakes

Do not use 根深蒂固 for a scene that only shares one surface word with the meaning. If the problem is closer to 本末倒置 or the contrast points toward 冰消瓦解, choose that nearby entry instead of stretching this one.

  • Do not use it for a temporary problem that is merely annoying.
  • Do not use it when the sentence only means strong; the root image requires depth and stability.

Wrong Use Clinic

The most useful check is often the phrase you should reject.

  1. The learner wants to sound more idiomatic but has only a broad topic match for 根深蒂固.

    The sentence drops in 根深蒂固 without showing the cause, object, or tone that would make the idiom necessary.

    Fix: Rewrite the sentence so the evidence for deeply rooted and hard to change appears before or after the phrase.

    根深蒂固 fails in this case because a chengyu is not decoration; it must name the exact judgment the sentence is making.

    Compare ben mo dao zhi

  2. The learner wants to say the opposite or a neighboring idea and chooses 根深蒂固 because it feels familiar.

    The sentence uses 根深蒂固, but the described situation points to a different cause, time point, or social attitude.

    Fix: Compare the sentence with 冰消瓦解 and choose the phrase whose boundary explains the situation with less force.

    根深蒂固 becomes misleading when the nearby phrase would identify the real problem more cleanly.

    Compare bing xiao wa jie

  3. The learner has the right meaning area for 根深蒂固 but ignores register and emotional force.

    The sentence uses 根深蒂固 directly about a person, yet gives no softening context or evidence for such a diagnostic judgment.

    Fix: Add the observed behavior first, or choose 沧海桑田 if the sentence needs a gentler learning path.

    根深蒂固 can sound heavier than a short English gloss. The reader needs enough context to see why the tone is fair.

    Compare cang hai sang tian

  4. The learner remembers the origin image of 根深蒂固 but applies it to the wrong object.

    The sentence names an image or story detail, but the real object being judged would be better explained by another chengyu.

    Fix: Name the object first. If the object points toward 改邪归正, use that contrast instead.

    根深蒂固 should follow the judgment, not the most memorable image. Story memory is useful only when it supports the sentence-level decision.

    Compare gai xie gui zheng

Chengyu Often Studied Together

Use these clusters to build sentence-level judgment instead of memorizing a single gloss.

  1. 根深蒂固 with nearby learner choices

    根深蒂固 is often studied beside 本末倒置 and 沧海桑田 because the words share a theme while asking the learner to judge a different cause, tone, or timing.

    老师先让学生解释根深蒂固，再比较本末倒置和沧海桑田，这样不会只凭英文近义词选答案。

    ben mo dao zhicang hai sang tian

  2. 根深蒂固 with contrast checks

    根深蒂固 becomes easier to use when it is contrasted with 刻舟求剑 and 冰消瓦解; the contrast forces the writer to decide whether the sentence is praise, warning, correction, or neutral description.

    写作练习里先用根深蒂固造句，再换成刻舟求剑，观察判断方向怎样改变。

    ke zhou qiu jianbing xiao wa jieben mo dao zhi

  3. 根深蒂固 in example-building drills

    根深蒂固 should be practiced with 本末倒置 and 刻舟求剑 because examples reveal whether the learner is choosing by meaning, tone, or only by a remembered image.

    课堂上先用根深蒂固写一个有证据的句子，再换成本末倒置或刻舟求剑说明判断为什么改变。

    ben mo dao zhike zhou qiu jiancang hai sang tian

  4. 根深蒂固 in story and source review

    根深蒂固 links best with 沧海桑田 and 冰消瓦解 when the learner is checking whether a source image truly supports a modern sentence.

    复习出处时，不要只背根深蒂固的故事，还要比较沧海桑田，看哪个成语更能解释现代句子。

    cang hai sang tianbing xiao wa jieben mo dao zhi

Learner Guide

Use these notes when deciding whether this chengyu fits a real sentence.

Use gen shen di gu when a problem, belief, or habit has a history below the surface. It can describe prejudice, old company processes, family assumptions, study habits, or social customs.

Deeply rooted is usually the best English translation. Entrenched is stronger and works well for institutions, bias, or policy. Hard to change because it is deep is a good learner explanation.

Do not use this chengyu for every strong thing. A strong opinion formed yesterday is not necessarily gen shen di gu. A temporary bug, delay, or inconvenience is also too shallow.

A good practice sentence names the root. Is the problem rooted in old incentives, repeated teaching, fear, habit, or group identity? Naming the root makes the idiom useful.

Before using 根深蒂固, write the plain English idea first. If the plain sentence already says everything naturally, the chengyu must add a sharper judgment, cultural image, or tone. If it does not add one of those, leave the plain wording alone.

A good 根深蒂固 sentence contains an object and evidence. The object is the person, plan, habit, result, or scene being judged. The evidence is the reason the phrase fits. Without both parts, the idiom may look learned but feel empty.

Compare 根深蒂固 with 本末倒置 and 冰消瓦解 before finalizing a sentence. The goal is not to memorize synonyms; the goal is to reject the wrong phrase for a clear reason. That rejection is what turns recognition into usable knowledge.

When teaching or self-reviewing 根深蒂固, ask the learner to mark source, meaning, use case, wrong case, and one example. If any mark is missing, return to the entry section that supplies it rather than guessing from the headword alone.

belief change is the first test zone for 根深蒂固, but it is not the only possible use. Before using the phrase, name the speaker, the object being judged, and the nearest tested context: belief change, organizational habit, social attitude, usage boundary, misuse boundary, comparison check, context setup, teacher correction. Then choose among deeply rooted, entrenched, hard to change because it is deep as translation candidates and reject at least one candidate out loud. A useful final check is to compare the sentence with ben-mo-dao-zhi and cang-hai-sang-tian; if one of those nearby entries explains the situation with less strain, the nearby phrase is the better learner choice.

When 根深蒂固 is translated as deeply rooted, the English should still preserve the phrase's tone. Keep diagnostic and the strategy use area visible when the audience is still learning the idiom. If a short translation hides the warning "Do not use it for a temporary problem that is merely annoying.", choose a fuller English explanation instead. This matters because the strongest chengyu pages should help readers decide when not to use the most convenient English equivalent.

Example Sentences

Each example labels the situation so you can choose a natural English translation.

belief change

这种观念根深蒂固，不能只靠一次讲座改变。

Zhè zhǒng guānniàn gēnshēndìgù, bùnéng zhǐ kào yī cì jiǎngzuò gǎibiàn.

This belief is deeply rooted and cannot be changed by one lecture.

organizational habit

公司的旧流程根深蒂固，新系统上线后仍然很难推动。

Gōngsī de jiù liúchéng gēnshēndìgù, xīn xìtǒng shàngxiàn hòu réngrán hěn nán tuīdòng.

The company's old process is entrenched, so the new system is still hard to promote.

social attitude

偏见一旦根深蒂固，就需要长期接触和证据来松动。

Piānjiàn yīdàn gēnshēndìgù, jiù xūyào chángqī jiēchù hé zhèngjù lái sōngdòng.

Once prejudice is deeply rooted, it takes long contact and evidence to loosen it.

usage boundary

只有原因和语气都清楚时，这句话才适合用根深蒂固。

zhi you yuan yin he yu qi dou qing chu shi zhe ju hua cai shi he yong gen shen di gu

Only use 根深蒂固 when the cause and tone are both clear, not just because the topic feels nearby.

misuse boundary

如果只是普通情况，不要为了显得有文化而硬说根深蒂固。

ru guo zhi shi pu tong qing kuang bu yao wei le xian de you wen hua er ying shuo gen shen di gu

If the situation is ordinary, do not force 根深蒂固 just to make the sentence sound more cultured.

comparison check

比较近义成语以后，再决定这里是不是应该写根深蒂固。

bi jiao jin yi cheng yu yi hou zai jue ding zhe li shi bu shi ying gai xie gen shen di gu

After comparing nearby chengyu, decide whether 根深蒂固 is really the phrase the sentence needs.

context setup

这段话先说明对象和原因，所以根深蒂固读起来不突兀。

zhe duan hua xian shuo ming dui xiang he yuan yin suo yi gen shen di gu du qi lai bu tu wu

The passage names the object and cause first, so 根深蒂固 does not feel abrupt.

teacher correction

老师让学生先解释为什么不用别的词，再用根深蒂固造句。

lao shi rang xue sheng xian jie shi wei shen me bu yong bie de ci zai yong gen shen di gu zao ju

The teacher asks students to explain why another phrase would be wrong before writing a sentence with 根深蒂固.

Story and Cultural Context

The phrase works because roots explain persistence. A plant with shallow roots can be moved easily, but deep roots and a firm stem base resist a quick pull. Modern Chinese applies the image to non-plant things: beliefs, customs, institutional habits, prejudices, or long-standing influence. The phrase does not mean change is impossible. It means change must reach below the visible surface. Gen shen di gu turns an abstract persistence problem into a plant image. The visible leaves are not the source of stability; the roots and stem base are. That is why the phrase fits beliefs, habits, social assumptions, and institutional practices better than small temporary problems. English speakers should notice that the phrase diagnoses depth. It does not automatically say change is impossible, but it says surface correction will be too shallow. For this entry, the origin note is only the beginning of the explanation. The useful question is why 根深蒂固 survived as a portable judgment rather than as a decorative allusion. The modern usage route gives the reader an image, but the modern sentence must still prove its own fit. A learner should ask three things: what concrete object is being judged, what evidence in the sentence supports that judgment, and what tone the phrase adds that a plain English adjective would not add. This is why the page tests 根深蒂固 through belief change, organizational habit, social attitude, usage boundary, misuse boundary; each context changes the pressure on the phrase and shows whether the idiom is acting as praise, warning, neutral description, or criticism. The story or usage background also has a translation boundary. 根深蒂固 can point toward deeply rooted, entrenched, hard to change because it is deep, but those English choices are not interchangeable. One version may preserve the image, another may sound natural in a classroom answer, and another may be safer in a workplace or essay sentence. The entry therefore treats public references as source cards, not as a paragraph order to imitate. Headword checks, story labels, and English equivalents are separated first; only after that are they rebuilt into the learner path used here: answer, label, examples, wrong-use clinic, comparison, story, and practice. The most common failure is overextension. Because 根深蒂固 has a memorable surface, learners may reach for it whenever a topic feels close. The better habit is to compare it with 本末倒置 and 沧海桑田 and with 冰消瓦解 and 改邪归正 before writing. If the rejected phrase is hard to reject, the sentence probably has not supplied enough evidence. If the rejected phrase is easy to reject, the learner can explain the boundary and use 根深蒂固 with confidence. That is the practical purpose of the origin section: it turns cultural memory into a sentence-level decision instead of leaving the reader with a story and no next action.

Learning point: Deep causes need deeper intervention than surface correction.

Open the dedicated story page

Editorial Notes

These notes turn the entry into a decision path, not a loose definition.

First answer before details

根深蒂固 should first be read as a decision about deeply rooted and hard to change, not as a collectible story label. The classical story helps memory, but the reader's real task is to decide whether the modern sentence is making a neutral judgment with enough evidence. Start with the object being described, then ask what happened, who is being judged, and whether the tone is fair. If those details are missing, the idiom will feel like learned decoration rather than useful Chinese. This first-answer rule also helps teachers and translators: they can explain the phrase quickly before deciding whether a longer story, comparison, or correction block is needed.

Example clinic

The examples for 根深蒂固 deliberately cover belief change, organizational habit, social attitude, usage boundary, misuse boundary because a learner needs more than one successful sentence before the phrase becomes usable. Read the Chinese sentence, then explain in plain English why this phrase is more precise than a simple adjective or loose translation. A strong example names the context, shows the evidence, and makes the tone visible. A weak example merely places the chengyu near a related topic. This habit prevents a common error: remembering the literal image but forgetting the social judgment carried by the phrase. When the example feels forced, return to the meaning line and choose a plainer wording.

Comparison boundary

Before using 根深蒂固, compare it with 本末倒置 and 沧海桑田 and, when possible, with 冰消瓦解 and 改邪归正. The comparison is not a synonym game. Nearby chengyu often share effort, caution, wisdom, or evaluation as a topic, while differing in cause, timing, and emotional force. A good learner sentence can explain why the rejected phrase fails. If that explanation is impossible, the chosen idiom is probably too loose. This is also the cleanest internal-link reason: the next page exists because it helps the reader reject a tempting but wrong choice. The comparison should leave a reusable rule, not merely another link to click.

Wrong-use trigger

根深蒂固 should be rejected when the sentence lacks an object, hides the reason for the judgment, or uses the idiom only because it sounds literary. The safest correction is to rewrite the sentence in plain English first, then add the chengyu only if it sharpens the meaning. If the tone becomes unfair, choose a gentler nearby phrase. If the source image is memorable but the modern object does not match, use the story only as background and do not force the idiom into the sentence. This wrong-use trigger is what keeps the entry from becoming a long but vague dictionary page.

Source synthesis note

根深蒂固 uses public references as checkpoints rather than as a structure to copy. One source may help with the headword, another with a story or image, and another with English translation range. The page then rebuilds those checks into its own learner order: short answer, label, examples, misuse, collocation, guide, story, and practice. This matters because a single-source paraphrase would give readers a familiar-looking article but not a better learning tool. The editorial value here is the decision path: what to use, what not to use, what to compare, and how to test the phrase in a new sentence.

Practice This Decision

Answer a focused quiz question, then come back to the examples and misuse clinic if the near phrase feels tempting.

Start focused quizReview mistakes first