Welcome to the English we speak with me Phil and me fefei

we have a phrase which is about building something up

or taking it apart carefully

it's brick by brick's brick by brick.

Brick by brick.

This sounds like something related to construction.

It can be, but actually we often use it more metaphorically, especially when we can use the verb

build in that way.

So for example, my brother is really proud of his business. He built it brick by brick.

So your brother's job has nothing to do with building has it?

No, he's an accountant. It's his company that he built. He grew it carefully and gradually and now it's really successful.

Your brother built his success brick by brick. You also said that it can be used for taking things apart.

Yes, that's right. If you take a house apart brick by brick, you're doing it carefully

enough that it could be rebuilt somewhere else again it's not just literal if you're

trying to disprove someone you can take their argument apart brick by brick that

would be when you carefully argue against each of the points someone has made.

Yes, that's right. Listen to these examples. It's nice to be recognized with this award. I've spent years building up my career brick by brick.

The historic building was moved brick by brick to the museum.

I thought I was well prepared, but the professor pulled my argument apart brick by brick. You're listening to the English we speak from BBC Learning English

and we're learning the phrase brick by brick, which is a way to refer to something done carefully and gradually.

As well as the idea of something done carefully and gradually, it often suggests that something is the

the result of hard work.

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