📖 Meaning
It means that something has a definite origin or root cause and can be traced back to its source. The idiom emphasizes that nothing arises from nowhere; everything has its fundamental basis and can be explained by its origins.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom comes from the essay "原毁" (On Slander) by Han Yu (韩愈), a prominent literatus and philosopher of the Tang Dynasty. In the essay, Han Yu argues that slander and defamation are not random but have their roots in two human flaws: laziness (怠) and jealousy (忌). The phrase "有本有原" was used to assert that even negative behaviors have traceable causes. The idiom is also written as "有本有源" in later usage.
💡 Example Usage
任何成功都有本有原，绝非运气使然。
Every success has its roots and causes; it is never merely a matter of luck.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 有本有原
- Pinyin: yǒu běn yǒu yuán
- Literal Translation: have root, have source
- Category: Logic
- Characters: 4