功 gōng
- Strokes
- 5
- Radical
- 力 — strength, power
- How it's built
- Ideograph — the meaning is built from its parts
功底
gōngdǐ
foundation of skill; basic training
Characters in this word
底 dǐ
- Strokes
- 8
- Radical
- 广 — broad, vast, wide
- Made of
- 广 broad, vast, wide 氐 the name of an ancient tribe
- How it's built
- Phono-semantic — one part hints at the meaning, another at the sound
Example phrases
- 他的文字功底很深，复杂的议题也能写得清楚而克制。 Tā de wénzì gōngdǐ hěn shēn, fùzá de yìtí yě néng xiě de qīngchu ér kèzhì. His writing skills are very solid, and he can handle complex issues clearly and with restraint.
- 她的钢琴功底很扎实，学新曲子特别快。 Tā de gāngqín gōngdǐ hěn zhāshi, xué xīn qǔzi tèbié kuài. Her piano foundation is very solid, so she learns new pieces especially fast.
- 画画没有功底，再好的想法也画不出来。 Huà huà méiyǒu gōngdǐ, zài hǎo de xiǎngfǎ yě huà bù chūlái. Without a solid grounding in drawing, even the best idea cannot be put on paper.
Related words
- 成功 chénggōng success; successful
- 功夫 gōngfu kung fu
- 功课 gōngkè homework
- 功能 gōngnéng function
- 功效 gōngxiào efficacy, effect
- 下功夫 xiàgōngfu to put in effort, to work hard
- 用功 yònggōng to be diligent; diligent
- 功 gōng merit; achievement; skill
- 功臣 gōngchén meritorious person; major contributor
- 功劳 gōngláo merit; credit; contribution
- 功力 gōnglì skill; depth of training
- 功利 gōnglì utilitarian; practical benefit