original capital; old foundation
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
2 senses · 6 examplesnoun
original capital; principal
informalSpecifically refers to the initial investment or capital one has.
Tā他
zuò做
shēng生
yì意
péi赔
le了
lǎo老
běn本
，
xiàn现
zài在
zhǐ只
néng能
cóng从
tóu头
kāi开
shǐ始
。
He lost his original capital in business and now has to start from scratch.
Tóu投
zī资
yǒu有
fēng风
xiǎn险
，
xiǎo小
xīn心
bié别
bǎ把
lǎo老
běn本
dōu都
kuī亏
le了
。
Investing has risks, be careful not to lose all your principal.
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Tā他
yòng用
lǎo老
běn本
kāi开
le了
yī一
jiā家
xiǎo小
diàn店
。
He used his original capital to open a small shop.
noun
one's old foundation; past achievements
neutralUsed metaphorically to refer to one's past experience, knowledge base, or past laurels that one relies on.
Yào要
xué学
xí习
xīn新
zhī知
shì识
，
guāng光
kào靠
lǎo老
běn本
bù不
xíng行
。
To learn new knowledge, relying solely on one's old foundation is not enough.
Bù不
yào要
tǎng躺
zài在
gōng功
láo劳
bù簿
shàng上
chī吃
lǎo老
běn本
。
Don't rest on your laurels and live off past achievements.
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Tā他
zài在
zhè这
ge个
lǐng领
yù域
yǒu有
shēn深
hòu厚
de的
lǎo老
běn本
，
suǒ所
yǐ以
xué学
qǐ起
lái来
hěn很
kuài快
。
He has a solid foundation in this field, so he learns quickly.