功底
gōng dǐ · HSK 7
training in the basic skills
🏋️ 功 = skill/merit + 底 = bottom/foundation → foundational skill
功 (gōng) means achievement or skill; 底 (dǐ) means bottom or base. Together: the base layer of one's skill — how solid your fundamentals are. Often used for craft, calligraphy, kung fu, or academic grounding.
功 — work 工 (phonetic) + strength 力 (semantic)
功 is a semantic-phonetic compound. The right side 力 (strength, a pictograph of a plow or flexed arm) gives the meaning, while 工 (work, originally a carpenter's square) supplies the sound. Together they convey effort applied to work — hence 'achievement, merit, accomplishment.'
底 — 广 (shelter radical) + 氐 (phonetic 'dǐ')
底 is a semantic-phonetic compound. The 广 radical depicts a roofed structure or shelter, suggesting the bottom or base of a building. The component 氐 supplies the sound 'dǐ' and originally meant 'low' or 'base,' reinforcing the meaning. Together they convey 'bottom,' 'foundation,' or 'underneath.'