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

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.

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