顶梁柱

頂梁柱

dǐngliángzhù

noun #29,282

Meanings

1 pillar; backbone; mainstay
2 the person or thing that holds everything up

Characters

top; to prop up; to bear

beam; rafter; bridge

pillar; column; post

Examples

他是家里的顶梁柱，不能倒下。

Tā shì jiā lǐ de dǐngliángzhù, bù néng dǎo xià.

He is the pillar of the family — he cannot fall.

这位老将是球队的顶梁柱，缺了他不行。

Zhè wèi lǎojiàng shì qiúduì de dǐngliángzhù, quē le tā bù xíng.

This veteran player is the backbone of the team — they can't do without him.

Tips

memory

顶 (to support from below/top) + 梁 (beam/rafter) + 柱 (pillar/column). Literally the 'pillar that holds up the beam at the top' — the central structural support of a traditional Chinese building. Figuratively, the indispensable person who holds a family or organization together.

Stroke Order

顶 dǐng

梁 liáng

柱 zhù