Definition

1. Noun:
   • Roots, origin, source: Refers to the fundamental basis, origin, or deep-seated cause of something, often abstract like a tradition, problem, or family lineage. It emphasizes the foundational and essential nature.
   • Ancestral roots, heritage: Specifically denotes the place of origin, homeland, or ancestral lineage of a person or family.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Anh ấy luôn tìm về cội rễ của gia đình mình. (He always seeks to return to his family's roots.)
  • Chúng ta cần hiểu cội rễ của vấn đề để giải quyết triệt để. (We need to understand the root of the problem to solve it thoroughly.)
  • Tình yêu quê hương bắt nguồn từ cội rễ văn hóa. (Love for one's homeland stems from cultural roots.)

Advanced Usage

• "gốc rễ cội nguồn": A common four-word idiom reinforcing the meaning of fundamental origin or source.

  • Phong tục này có gốc rễ cội nguồn từ hàng trăm năm trước. (This custom has its roots from hundreds of years ago.)

• "tìm về cội rễ": To trace back to one's roots, to search for one's origins.

  • Nhiều người Việt ở nước ngoài mong muốn tìm về cội rễ. (Many overseas Vietnamese wish to trace back to their roots.)

Variants and Related Words

• Gốc rễ (Noun): A near-synonymous compound meaning "roots and origins." It is often used interchangeably with "cội rễ."

  • Gốc rễ của cây (The roots of the tree) - More literal for plant roots.
  • Gốc rễ của tranh chấp (The root of the dispute) - More common in abstract contexts.

• Nguồn gốc (Noun): Origin, source, provenance. Focuses more on the point of beginning.

  • Nguồn gốc của sản phẩm (The origin of the product).

• Cội nguồn (Noun): Origin, fountainhead, wellspring. Often used for the origin of a lineage, culture, or river.

  • Cội nguồn dân tộc (The origin of the nation).

Synonyms

• Nguồn cội (Noun): Origin, source (literary).
• Khởi nguyên (Noun): The very beginning, genesis (formal, literary).
• Căn nguyên (Noun): Primary cause, root cause (often for problems).

Related Phrases (Collocations)

• Bám chặt cội rễ: To cling firmly to one's roots.

  • Dù đi xa, anh ấy vẫn bám chặt cội rễ Việt Nam. (Even though he's far away, he still clings firmly to his Vietnamese roots.)

• Cội rễ văn hóa: Cultural roots.

  • Giữ gìn cội rễ văn hóa là điều rất quan trọng. (Preserving cultural roots is very important.)

Related Idioms

• "Uống nước nhớ nguồn": (When drinking water, remember its source.) An idiom about gratitude and remembering one's origins. While it uses "nguồn" (source), it shares the conceptual meaning of "cội rễ."
  • Chúng ta phải luôn nhớ ơn tổ tiên, uống nước nhớ nguồn. (We must always be grateful to our ancestors, remembering the source when drinking water.)