基
もと · moto · JLPT N3 · noun
footing
🧱 基 = 其 (a stand) + 土 (earth): the ground everything stands on
土 (earth, soil) sits at the bottom of 基, the way a foundation sits under a building. もと (moto) is the base or origin of something; the same kanji is read き in compounds like 基本 (きほん, basics) and 基地 (きち, base).