Translation guide
The English phrase "rooting out" means to search for and remove something undesirable, often thoroughly and with effort. In Japanese, this concept is expressed through various verbs and phrases depending on what is being rooted out (e.g., corruption, weeds, problems).
汚職を根絶する
root out corruption
雑草を根こそぎにする
root out weeds
To search for and completely remove something harmful, such as corruption, crime, or bad habits.
Literally 'root extinction'. A strong, formal word for completely eradicating something, often used for social ills like corruption or disease.
政府は汚職を根絶すると約束した。
The government promised to root out corruption.
Means 'to sweep away' or 'clean up'. Used for removing undesirable elements from a group or area, like crime or bad practices.
警察は地域の暴力団を一掃しようとしている。
The police are trying to root out the gangs from the area.
Means 'to eradicate' or 'stamp out'. Often used in campaigns against social problems like drugs or discrimination.
彼らは麻薬の撲滅に取り組んでいる。
They are working to root out drugs.
Literally 'to pull out by the roots'. A vivid expression for completely removing something, often used for plants or figuratively for problems.
雑草を根こそぎにした。
I rooted out the weeds.
To look through things carefully in order to find something, often hidden or not obvious.
Means 'to hunt out' or 'ferret out'. Emphasizes the effort of searching until you find something specific.
彼は古い書類の中から証拠を探し出した。
He rooted out the evidence from the old documents.
Literally 'to bring out by applying heat'. Figuratively means to expose or smoke out hidden things, like secrets or criminals.
Means 'to wash out' or 'bring to light'. Used for identifying and listing problems or issues through investigation.
To pull up plants completely, including their roots, so they don't grow back.
The most direct equivalent for physically pulling out plants with their roots.
庭の雑草を根こそぎにした。
I rooted out the weeds in the garden.
Means 'to pull out' or 'uproot'. Commonly used for pulling out plants or weeds.
彼は地面からタンポポを引き抜いた。
He rooted out the dandelions from the ground.
These three words all mean 'eradicate', but have different nuances. 根絶 (konzetsu) emphasizes complete extinction, often used for diseases or abstract evils. 一掃 (issō) means 'sweep away', focusing on cleaning out a place or group. 撲滅 (bokumetsu) is often used in campaigns or movements to stamp out social problems.
The English phrase 'root out' cannot be directly translated word-for-word into Japanese. Use the appropriate verb based on context: physical removal (根こそぎにする, 引き抜く), eradication (根絶する), or searching (探し出す).
記者は隠された真実をあぶり出そうとした。
The journalist tried to root out the hidden truth.
プロジェクトの問題点を洗い出す必要がある。
We need to root out the problems in the project.