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支柱 (zhī zhù) — (literal) pillar, column; (figurative) mainstay, backbone, pillar (of a group or system)

Definition

支柱 covers both the literal 'pillar, column' and the figurative 'mainstay, backbone'. Compared to 脊梁 and 栋梁 — both also figurative 'backbone/pillar' — 支柱 is the most common and neutral, used for people, industries, or systems (e.g. 经济支柱).

noun
(literal) pillarcolumn(figurative) mainstaybackbonepillar (of a group or system)
Measure word · 根

Examples

  • 支柱。
    Zhè zuò fáng zi de zhī zhù shì yòng shí tou zuò de.
    The pillars of this house are made of stone.
  • 支柱，。
    Tā shì wǒ men gōng sī de zhī zhù, méi yǒu tā bù xíng.
    He is the backbone of our company; we can't do without him.
  • 支柱。
    Kē jì shì xiàn dài shè huì de zhòng yào zhī zhù.
    Technology is an important pillar of modern society.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

支zhīsupport
柱zhùpillar

支 (support) and 柱 (pillar) give a supporting pillar, hence a mainstay.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

支 pairs 又 (hand) with 十, a shortened form of 竹 (bamboo), to picture a bamboo branch.

Open 支 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
木木mùwood
Sound part声符shēngfú
主
主zhǔ柱zhù
Same sound today

The left part 木 shows that 柱 is connected with wood. The right part 主 gives the pronunciation.

Open 柱 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9HSK 2.0 Level 6Abstract ConceptsBuildings & Structures

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