Chinese idiom · 成语

根深蒂固

gēn shēn dì gù

Meaning

Deep roots, firm base; deeply entrenched.

Character by character

根root

深deep

蒂base

固firm

Origin and story

Classical metaphor

Chapter 59 of the Laozi links restraint, accumulated virtue, and endurance in personal conduct and government. It closes with the image of deep roots and a firm base as the way to lasting life. The original order is shen gen gu di, rather than the modern gen shen di gu, and 蔕 is an older written form of 蒂.

The metaphor initially presents stability as desirable. Later usage can also describe an entrenched prejudice, habit, or power structure that resists change. The plant image supplies the connection: what has taken deep hold cannot easily be pulled out. It is a philosophical comparison, not a tale about planting a particular tree.

Sources and further reading

MOE Dictionary of Idioms: 根深蒂固; Laozi 59

In everyday life

这种对年龄的偏见根深蒂固，光靠一次培训很难改变。

Zhè zhǒng duì nián líng de piān jiàn gēn shēn dì gù, guāng kào yí cì péi xùn hěn nán gǎi biàn.

This age prejudice is deeply entrenched and difficult to change through a single training session.

Describes a firmly established condition; often negative when applied to prejudice.