斩草除根

• Pinyin: zhǎn cǎo chú gēn
• Hanzi breakdown: 斩 = 车 + 斤 (chop); 草 = 艹 + 早 (grass); 除 = 阝 + 余 (remove); 根 = 木 + 艮 (root)

Meaning

To pull up weeds by the roots; to eradicate completely. To eliminate a problem or threat at its source to prevent recurrence.

A four-character idiom emphasizing thoroughness in eliminating problems. Often used in contexts of dealing with enemies, bad habits, or persistent issues. Can have a ruthless connotation when applied to people or competitors.

Examples

1. 对待安全隐患，必须斩草除根，不留后患。 When it comes to safety hazards, you have to eliminate them at the source so they don’t come back.
2. 公司决定对腐败问题斩草除根，彻底整顿管理层。 The company decided to eradicate corruption at its root and thoroughly clean up the management team.
3. 医生建议手术彻底切除肿瘤，斩草除根才能防止复发。 The doctor recommended surgically removing the tumor completely; only by eliminating it at the root can recurrence be prevented.

Usage Guide

Context: problem-solving, strategy, medical

Tone: decisive/serious

Do Say

• 处理这类顽疾必须斩草除根，否则春风吹又生。(Dealing with this chronic problem requires eradicating it at the root, or it will grow back with the spring breeze.)
• 执法部门下定决心斩草除根，彻底铲除这个犯罪团伙。(Law enforcement is determined to eradicate this criminal gang completely.)

Don't Say

• 斩草除根花园里的杂草 — the idiom is too strong for literal gardening; use 拔草 or 除草 for simple weeding

Origin & History

斩 (to chop) + 草 (grass) + 除 (to remove) + 根 (root) — to chop weeds and remove roots

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal