挑大梁

tiǎodàliáng
idiom #37,783

Meanings

  1. 1 to play the leading role, to shoulder the main responsibility
  2. 2 to be the main pillar of a project or team

Examples

Zhè cì xiàngmù yóu tā tiǎodàliáng, dàjiā dōu hěn fàngxīn.
She's taking the lead on this project, which puts everyone at ease.
Lǎo yuángōng tuìxiū hòu, shéi lái tiǎodàliáng?
Once the veterans retire, who's going to carry the load?

Tips

memory
The is the main load-bearing beam in a traditional Chinese house. Whoever 'carries the main beam' holds up the whole structure — a vivid picture of taking on central responsibility.

Stroke Order

tiāo
liáng