寻根究底 xún gēn jiū dǐ get to the bottom of

Explanation

指追究事情的根底，弄清来龙去脉。

means to pursue the root of a matter and clarify the ins and outs.

Origin Story

贾宝玉听说妙玉死后成仙，便派人去妙玉家乡寻根究底，查证此事真伪。他派去的茗烟一路打听，寻访了当地许多老人，最终证实这不过是一个美丽的传说，妙玉并没有成仙。宝玉听后虽有些失望，却也对这个故事有了更清晰的认识，明白了传说的产生往往有其一定的社会背景和人文因素。

jiǎ bǎoyu tīng shuō miào yù sǐ hòu chéng xiān,biàn pài rén qù miào yù jiā xiāng xún gēn jiū dǐ,chá zhèng cǐ shì zhēn wěi.tā pài qù de míng yān yī lù dǎ tīng,xún fǎng le dāng dì xǔ duō lǎo rén,zhōng jiū zhèngshí zhè bù guò shì yīgè měilì de chuán shuō,miào yù bìng méiyǒu chéng xiān.bǎo yù tīng hòu suī yǒu xiē shī wàng,què yě duì zhège gùshì yǒu le gèng qīng xī de rènshí,míngbai le chuán shuō de chǎngshēng wǎng wǎng yǒu qí yīdìng de shèhuì bèijǐng hé rénwén yīnsù

When Jia Baoyu heard that Miaoyu became a fairy after her death, he sent someone to Miaoyu's hometown to investigate and verify the truth of this matter. Mingyan, whom he sent, inquired along the way and visited many local elders, eventually confirming that it was just a beautiful legend, and Miaoyu did not become a fairy. Although Baoyu was a little disappointed after hearing this, he also had a clearer understanding of the story and understood that the generation of legends often has certain social backgrounds and humanistic factors.

Usage

主要用于书面语，形容对事情追根问底，力求弄清真相。

zhǔyào yòng yú shūmiàn yǔ, xíngróng duì shìqíng zhuīgēn wèndǐ, lìqiú nòng qīng zhēnxiàng.

Mainly used in written language to describe the act of thoroughly investigating something and striving to clarify the truth.

Examples

• 他做事总是寻根究底，弄清事情的来龙去脉。

  tā zuòshì zǒngshì xún gēn jiū dǐ,nòng qīng shìqíng de lái lóng mài mò.

  He always investigates things thoroughly, clarifying the ins and outs of the matter.

• 我对这个问题很感兴趣，一定要寻根究底弄个明白。

  wǒ duì zhège wèntí hěn gǎn xìngqù,yīdìng yào xún gēn jiū dǐ nòng ge míngbai

  I am very interested in this problem and must get to the bottom of it.

Related Idioms

• 寻本溯源

• 追根究底

Opposite Idioms

• 囫囵吞枣

• 不求甚解