seek roots; trace ancestry
Meanings
2 senses · 6 examplesverb
to seek roots; to trace to the source; to investigate the origin
Often used in set phrases such as 寻根溯源 or 寻根问底 to indicate thorough investigation of origins.
We need to trace to the source and find the root cause of the problem.
Archaeologists traced the origins here and discovered relics of ancient civilizations.
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He wrote this book to seek his roots and explore his own cultural background.
verb
to seek one's ancestral roots; to trace one's lineage; to return to one's ancestral home
culturalSpecifically refers to the cultural practice of tracing family ancestry, particularly among overseas Chinese returning to their ancestral homeland to pay respects to ancestors.
Many overseas Chinese return to China to seek their ancestral roots and offer sacrifices to ancestors.
He returns to his hometown every Qingming Festival to seek his roots and pay respects to his ancestors.
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This overseas Chinese made a special trip back to seek his roots and finally found his ancestral home.