根源・根原・根元|こんげんkongen[3]nakadaka (mid-high)

1. nounroot; source; origin; cause
   金きんは諸悪しょあくの根源こんげん。↗

   Money is the root of all evil.

• SynonymルーツNeutralLoanword for the roots of a family or culture — where people or traditions come from. 「根源」 is the most fundamental source of a problem or thing.
• Synonym元もとNeutralEveryday word for the origin or cause of something, as in 「元を辿る」. 「根源」 points to the deepest, most fundamental level.
• Synonym根ねNeutralA plant's root, or the root of evil as in 「悪の根」. 「根源」 is the more formal word.
• Synonym出所しゅっしょNeutralWhere something came from, its provenance; also release from prison. 「根源」 stresses the root cause of a problem.
• Synonym起源きげんNeutralThe origin of something, as in 「生命の起源」. 「根源」 stresses the root cause of a problem.
• Synonym本元ほんもとWrittenWritten word for the true origin or the main family line, as in 「本家本元」. 「根源」 is about cause.
• Synonym起こりおこりNeutralThe cause or beginning of something. 「根源」 points to the deepest, most fundamental source.
• Synonym根本こんぽんNeutral「根本」 is 「根元」 in another writing, read ねもと: the base of a tree or pillar near the roots, also figurative. 「根源」 is the fundamental source of things, not a tree's base.
• SynonymオリジンNeutralLoanword for the origin or source of something. 「根源」 stresses the root cause of a problem.
• Synonym淵源えんげんWrittenWritten word for deep, far-reaching origins. 「根源」 stresses the root cause of a problem.
• Synonym濫觴らんしょうWrittenLiterary word for the very beginnings of something, as in 「〜の濫觴」. 「根源」 stresses the root cause of a problem.
• Related元もとNeutralEveryday word for the origin or cause of something, as in 「元を辿る」. 「根源」 points to the deepest, most fundamental level.
• Related源みなもとNeutralThe source of a river, or an origin. 「根源」 stresses the root cause of a problem.
• RelatedはじめNeutralThe beginning or first, mainly about order in time. 「根源」 is the root cause you reach by tracing a problem back.
• Related始まりはじまりNeutralThe start of something, as in 「始まりの日」. 「根源」 is the root cause you reach by tracing a problem back.
• Related発端ほったんWrittenWritten word for the start of an event or affair. 「根源」 stresses the root cause of a problem.
• Related起点きてんNeutralA starting point, in space or in a process. 「根源」 stresses the root cause of a problem.
• Related発祥はっしょうWrittenWritten word for where a cultural thing first arose. 「根源」 is the root cause of a problem.
• Related源流げんりゅうWrittenWritten word for a river's headwaters or the source of a culture. 「根源」 stresses the fundamental source.
• Related基底きていWrittenWritten word for a base or foundation, also a basis in mathematics. 「根源」 is about cause.
• Related土台どだいNeutralA building's foundation or the basis that supports something. 「根源」 stresses the root cause of a problem.
• Related根元ねもとNeutralThe part of a tree or pillar near the roots, also used figuratively for a root. 「根源」 is the source of things, not a plant's base.
• Related元始げんしWrittenWritten word for the primeval origin of things. 「根源」 stresses the root cause of a problem.
• Related序開きじょびらきWrittenWritten word for the opening stage of something. 「根源」 points to the most fundamental source.
• Related初口しょくちNeutralThe very first step or move when starting something. 「根源」 is the root cause you reach by tracing a problem back.
• Antonym末梢まっしょうWrittenWritten word for twig tips and minor details — the opposite of the fundamental 「根源」.
• Antonym末流ばつりゅうWrittenWritten word for a river's lower reaches or late-age descendants — the opposite end from the source that 「根源」 names.

Use 「根源」 for the most fundamental source of a problem or thing, as in 「諸悪の根源」. For the origin of something pick 「起源」, for a river's source 「源」, for family or cultural roots 「ルーツ」, and for the start of an event 「発端」. Many others are narrower: 「元」「根」「土台」「起こり」 are everyday words, 「淵源」「濫觴」「発祥」「源流」「本元」 are written, 「根元」 is a plant's base, and the antonyms 「末梢」「末流」 name the far end, not the source.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

1. ものごとのおおもと。