墙脚 (qiáng jiǎ) — foot of a wall, base of a wall; foundation (of an institution or system)
Definition
Literally 'wall foot': the physical base of a wall, and figuratively the foundation of an organization. In the figurative sense ('undermine the 墙脚') it is a close synonym of 基础 but more colloquial and vivid.
noun
foot of a wallbase of a wallfoundation (of an institution or system)
Examples
- 墙脚，。Zhè dòng lóu de qiáng jiǎ hěn láo gù, bú yòng dān xīn.The foundation of this building is very solid, no need to worry.
- 墙脚，。Tā men xiǎng wā wǒ men gōng sī de qiáng jiǎ, wā zǒu wǒ men de hé xīn yuán gōng.They want to undermine our company by poaching our core employees.
- 墙脚，。Bié zài qiáng jiǎ fù jìn zhòng shù, huì yǐng xiǎng dì jī.Don't plant trees near the base of the wall; it will affect the foundation.
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