Definition
靠山 is a noun that literally means 'a mountain to lean on', but in everyday Chinese it is almost always used figuratively to mean a powerful backer, patron, or source of support — someone you can rely on for protection or advantage. The metaphor is vivid: just as a house is sheltered by a mountain behind it, a person with a 靠山 has a solid supporter behind them. The literal geographic sense is rare in isolation and typically appears in set phrases like 靠山吃山 (live off the mountain).
n.
(figurative) a powerful backer or patronsomeone who provides protection or advantage(literal) a mountain that provides shelter or protection
Examples
- 靠山，。Tā zài gōngsī yǒu kào shān, suǒyǐ méi rén gǎn dézuì tā.He has a backer at the company, so no one dares offend him.
- 靠山，。Méiyǒu kào shān de rén, zhǐ néng kào zìjǐ nǔlì dǎpīn.People without a patron have to rely on their own hard work to get ahead.
- ，靠山。Tā zhī suǒyǐ shēng de zhème kuài, quán shì yīnwèi yǒu kào shān.The reason he got promoted so fast is entirely because he had a backer.
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