土壤

tǔrǎng
noun HSK 7 #12,735

Meanings

  1. 1 soil; earth
  2. 2 breeding ground (figurative)

Characters

Both characters mean soil — specifically refers to soft, fertile earth.

Examples

Zhèlǐ de tǔrǎng hěn féiwò.
The soil here is very fertile.
Fǔbài xūyào héshì de tǔrǎng cái néng zīshēng.
Corruption needs the right breeding ground to develop.

Tips

usage
土壤 is frequently used metaphorically in Chinese to mean 'breeding ground' or 'fertile conditions for something to grow' — culture, corruption, innovation can all have their 土壤. This figurative use is extremely common in essays and news.

Stroke Order

rǎng