上梁不正下梁歪

shàng liáng bù zhèng xià liáng wāi

lit. If the upper beam is not straight, the lower beam will be crooked (idiom); fig. subordinates imitate their superiors' vices

shàng

(bound form) up; upper; above; previous

liáng

variant of 梁[liang2]

no; not so

zhèng

straight

xià

down

liáng

variant of 梁[liang2]

wāi

askew