Definition
挑大梁 is a figurative set phrase (成语) that literally means 'to lift the main beam' — the central load-bearing beam in traditional Chinese architecture. It's used to describe someone who takes on the most critical role or responsibility in a team, project, or organization, whether as a lead actor in a performance or as a key person shouldering a heavy task. This is a separable verb (离合词): you can insert elements between 挑 and 大梁, e.g., 挑起了公司的大梁 ('took on the company's heavy responsibility').
idiom
to assume a leading roleto shoulder the most important responsibilityto be the lead actor or actressto play the starring role
Examples
- 挑大梁，。Tā zài gōngsī lǐ tiǎo dà liáng, fùzé zuì héxīn de xiàngmù.He takes on the leading role in the company, responsible for the most core projects.
- 挑大梁，。Zhè bù diànyǐng yóu tā tiǎo dà liáng, yǎnjì shòudào yízhì hǎopíng.He played the lead in this film, and his acting received unanimous praise.
- ，，。Zhè yì nián lái, tā yí ge rén tiǎo qǐ gōngsī de dà liáng, fēicháng xīnkǔ.Over the past year, he single-handedly shouldered the company's heavy responsibility — it was very tough.
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