追溯 zhuīsù literally to go upstream
literally to go upstream; to trace something back to; to date from
How to remember 追溯: 追 to chase + 溯 to paddle upstream = literally to go upstream.
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How it is used
- To trace back to the origin - in time - 这一传统可追溯到唐朝 (zhè yì chuántǒng kě zhuīsù dào Tángcháo) this tradition dates back to the Tang dynasty.
- Literally "to go upstream"; used for tracing history, causes, or sources (追溯源头 trace to the source; 追溯既往 apply retroactively).
- Note reading 溯 (sù). It means following something backward to its beginning, more formal and directional than plain 回顾 (to look back/review).