Root
Basis, Foundation
noun, の adjective
The root origin is the root of something. Possibly even more root than root, but we'll stick with root.
根本 generally refers to the root cause or fundamental basis of something, like "the root of the problem" or "the fundamental principle."
This is a jukugo word, which usually means on'yomi readings from the kanji. If you know the readings of your kanji you'll know how to read this as well. Careful, 本 is ぽん, which is a weird rendaku. In case you need help with this rendaku reading, here's a mnemonic:
What's the root cause of your unhappiness? A pony (ぽん). Getting a pony was basically the basis of all your childhood dreams. Unfortunately your parents couldn't afford a pony, so now you're in therapy. Oh yes, you still think of that pony, down there at the root of all your many, many issues…
教育の根本
the fundamentals of education
人間の根本
the core of humanity
社会の根本
the roots of society
根本にある
to be at the root of something
根本に立ち返る
to return to the fundamentals
根本になる
to become the foundation of something
根本から解決する
to resolve the root issue
根本からちがう
to be fundamentally different
根本から考える
to think from the ground up
私も父も根本の考え方は同じです。
My father and I have fundamentally the same way of thinking.
英語を根本からもう一度学びなおしたいです。
I want to relearn English from the ground up.
この問題の根本の原因はどこにあると思いますか？
What do you think the fundamental cause of this problem is?