大黒柱

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 大黒柱 is read as だいこくばしら and means central pillar or mainstay.
• Basic usage: It can refer literally to a house’s central pillar or figuratively to a family’s long-standing mainstay.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• A house’s central pillar
  • 大黒柱: Deep scars remained on the old house's central pillar. Example: 古い家の大黒柱には深い傷が残っていた。
• A family’s mainstay
  • 大黒柱: My mother was the mainstay who supported the family for many years. Example: 母は長年家族を支える大黒柱だった。