- English translation
When a building stone fails, the problem is in its base.
- Literal wording
If the stone gives way, the fault lies in the foundation.
- Meaning and lesson
A visible failure in a structure may point back to a weakness in what supports it. The saying directs attention away from the failing part alone and toward the underlying base on which it depends; its image concerns structural support, not necessarily blame of an individual.
It can be applied figuratively to a flawed result, unstable arrangement, or recurring breakdown. Rather than treating the immediate symptom as the whole problem, it suggests examining the original basis, organization, or support that made failure possible.
- When it is used
Use this proverb when an apparent defect is believed to arise from a deeper foundational problem. It suits discussion of systems, plans, institutions, or arrangements whose weakness becomes clear through the failure of one visible part.
Cite or copy proverb
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
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