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中流砥柱 (zhōng liú dǐ zhù) — (idiom) a mainstay; a pillar; one who stands rock-firm in a critical role

Definition

An idiom for the 'mainstay' or 'pillar' who holds firm at the critical moment of a crisis. Used for a person, organization, or group that is the steady, indispensable core in a turbulent situation.

idiom
a mainstaya pillarone who stands rock-firm in a critical role

Examples

  • 中流砥柱。
    Tā shì zhè ge tuán duì de zhōng liú dǐ zhù.
    He is the mainstay of this team.
  • ，中流砥柱。
    Zài jīng jì wēi jī zhōng, zhè jiā gōng sī chéng wéi háng yè de zhōng liú dǐ zhù.
    During the economic crisis, this company became the pillar of the industry.
  • 中流砥柱，。
    Zhè wèi lǎo jiào shòu shì xué xiào de zhōng liú dǐ zhù, péi yǎng le wú shù rén cái.
    This old professor is the mainstay of the school, nurturing countless talents.

Origin

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The original picture showed a flagpole with a drum in the middle, set up in the center of a field.

Open 中 →

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
水水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
㐬
㐬㐬流liú
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

流 has 水, water, and 㐬, which gives the sound. The water part matches meanings such as flow.

Open 流 →

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
石石shístone
Sound part声符shēngfú
氐
氐dī砥dǐ
Same sound today

砥 pairs 石 (stone) with 氐, which gives the character its sound.

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
Idioms & Set Phrases

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