状元 (zhuàng yuan) — (historical) the top scholar who ranked first in the highest imperial examination; (modern) the top scorer in a competitive examination; the most talented person in a field
Definition
Originally the #1 rank in the imperial exams; today used loosely for the top scorer of any exam, or as a compliment for the best person in a field (sales, sports, etc.). The note "see 眼 and 花" in some sources is a data error, not a meaning.
noun
(historical) the top scholar who ranked first in the highest imperial examination(modern) the top scorer in a competitive examinationthe most talented person in a field
Examples
- 状元。Gǔ dài kē jǔ kǎo shì de zuì gāo róng yù shì zhuàng yuan.The highest honor in the ancient imperial examination system was being the top scholar.
- ，状元。Tā kǎo shàng le běi dà, shì dāng dì gāo kǎo de zhuàng yuan.He got into Peking University and is the top scorer in the local gaokao.
- 状元，。Tā shì gōng sī de xiāo shòu zhuàng yuan, lián xù sān nián yè jì dì yī.She is the company's top salesperson, ranking first in performance for three consecutive years.
Appears in
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