根も葉もない

Japanese

Kanji in this term
根	葉
ね Grade: 3	は Grade: 3
kun'yomi

Alternative spelling
根も葉も無い

Etymology

Compound of 根 +‎ も +‎ 葉 +‎ も +‎ ない, literally "having neither roots nor leaves"

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) ね​もはもな​い (Atamadaka + Atamadaka)

• (Tokyo) ねもはもない [néꜜmòhàmònàì] (Atamadaka – [1])
• IPA^(key): [ne̞mo̞ha̠mo̞na̠i]

Idiom

根(ね)も葉(は)もない • (ne mo ha mo nai) 

1. baseless, unsubstantiated, having no evidence

   根(ね)も葉(は)もない噂(うわさ)を流(なが)す

   ne mo ha mo nai uwasa o nagasu

   spreading baseless rumors

See also

• 根掘(ねほ)り葉掘(はほ)り (nehorihahori)