Dictionary › 上梁不正下梁歪

上梁不正下梁歪

shàng liáng bù zhèng xià liáng wāi

7-character word

What 上梁不正下梁歪 means

1. lit. If the upper beam is not straight, the lower beam will be crooked (idiom); fig. subordinates imitate their superiors' vices

The characters in 上梁不正下梁歪

• 上shàng(bound form) up; upper; above; previous; first (of multiple parts); to climb…
• 梁liángroof beam; beam (structure); bridge
• 不bùno; not so; (bound form) not; un-
• 正zhèngstraight; upright; proper
• 下xiàdown; downwards; below
• 梁liángroof beam; beam (structure); bridge
• 歪wāiaskew; at a crooked angle; devious

Example sentences

• 上梁不正下梁歪。
  Shàngliángbùzhèngxiàliángwāi.
  A fish rots from the head down.