root of disaster; source of trouble
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
1 sense · 3 examplesnoun
source of disaster; root of trouble; cause of misfortune
literaryA literary term used to describe the root cause or origin of future misfortune. Often carries a slightly archaic or formal tone.
Jiāo骄
shē奢
yín淫
yì逸
，
wǎng往
wǎng往
shì是
bài败
jiā家
zhī之
huò祸
tāi胎
。
Luxury, extravagance, and debauchery are often the root of a family's ruin.
Cǐ此
shì事
ruò若
bù不
tuǒ妥
shàn善
chǔ处
lǐ理
，
kǒng恐
chéng成
wèi未
lái来
zhī之
huò祸
tāi胎
。
If this matter is not handled properly, it may become a source of future trouble.
Show 1 more exampleShow fewer examples
Tā他
xìng性
gé格
zhōng中
de的
cāi猜
jì忌
，
jiù就
shì是
zhè这
chǎng场
máo矛
dùn盾
de的
huò祸
tāi胎
。
The suspicion in his character is the root cause of this conflict.