根据

Etymology & Components

The Chinese word 根据 (gēnjù) is a compound word consisting of two characters: 根 (gēn) and 据 (jù). The character 根 originally meant "root" or "base", and in the context of 根据, it refers to the foundation or basis of something. The character 据 originally meant "to rely on" or "to base oneself on", and in the context of 根据, it emphasizes the idea of using something as a basis or reference.When combined, the two characters 根 and 据 form the word 根据, which literally means "to base oneself on the root" or "to use something as a foundation". In modern Chinese, 根据 is used as a preposition or conjunction that means "according to", "based on", or "in accordance with". It is often used to indicate the source or basis of information, evidence, or reasoning.For example, the sentence 根据他的说法，他们明天会来 (Gēnjù tā de shuōfǎ, tāmen míngtiān huì lái) means "According to him, they will come tomorrow". In this sentence, 根据 is used to indicate the source of the information (i.e. "him").Another example is the sentence 根据这个公式，我们可以计算出答案 (Gēnjù zhège gōngshì, wǒmen kěyǐ jìsuàn chū dá'àn) means "Based on this formula, we can calculate the answer". In this sentence, 根据 is used to indicate the basis for the calculation (i.e. "this formula").Overall, the etymology of the Chinese word 根据 reflects its meaning as a preposition or conjunction that indicates the source or basis of information, evidence, or reasoning.