栋梁

棟梁

dòngliáng

noun HSK 7-9 #56,940

Meanings

1 ridgepole and beam (of a building)
2 pillar of the state; backbone (figurative)

Characters

The ridgepole and beam hold up a building - figuratively, the people who hold up a nation or organization.

Examples

HSK 2

这些年轻人是国家的栋梁。

Zhèxiē niánqīngrén shì guójiā de dòngliáng.

These young people are the pillars of the nation.

HSK 7-9

培养栋梁之才是教育的目标。

Péiyǎng dòngliángzhīcái shì jiàoyù de mùbiāo.

Cultivating outstanding talent is the goal of education.

Tips

usage

栋梁 is almost always used figuratively in modern Chinese. 栋梁之才 (pillar-caliber talent) is a set phrase used in formal speeches and writing, especially about promising young people.

Stroke Order

栋 dòng

梁 liáng