(ていへん)

ていへん
noun
base (of a triangle); bottom of society
education
1. base (of a triangle or shape)
The bottom side of a geometric figure, especially a triangle. A standard term in mathematics education.
Find the length of the base of the triangle.
The area can be calculated with base times height divided by 2.
Calculate the area of a triangle with a base of 5 cm and a height of 3 cm.
2. bottom, lower strata, grassroots level
The lowest level or foundation of a society, organization, or hierarchy. Can refer neutrally to the grassroots or foundation, or negatively to the bottom rung of society.
People who work at the bottom of society.
A story of a successful person who climbed up from the bottom.
Broadening the grassroots base of a sport leads to future improvement.

Usage

Sense 1 is a standard math term learned in school. Sense 2 can be neutral (底辺(ていへん)(ひろ)げる, broaden the base/grassroots) or negative (社会(しゃかい)底辺(ていへん), bottom of society). In recent internet slang, 底辺(ていへん) is sometimes used pejoratively to describe low-status jobs or lifestyles, which many consider offensive.

Common collocations