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脱颖而出 (tuō yǐng ér chū) — to stand out; to show one's talent; to distinguish oneself

Definition

Literally 'a sharp tip (颖) breaks out of the husk' — an idiom for a talented person rising above the rest. Unlike the plain adjective 出众 or 与众不同, it implies active emergence after effort, often through competition or achievement.

phrase
to stand outto show one's talentto distinguish oneself

Examples

  • 脱颖而出，。
    Tā zài miàn shì zhōng tuō yǐng ér chū, dé dào le zhè fèn gōng zuò.
    She stood out in the interview and got this job.
  • 脱颖而出。
    Tā de xīn zuò pǐn ràng tā zài yì shù jiè tuō yǐng ér chū.
    His new work made him stand out in the art world.
  • ，脱颖而出，。
    Jīng guò duō nián nǔ lì, tā zhōng yú tuō yǐng ér chū, chéng wéi gōng sī de zǒng jīng lǐ.
    After years of hard work, he finally distinguished himself and became the general manager of the company.

Origin

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 脫; 脱 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
⺼Written in full as肉ròu
Sound part声符shēngfú
兌
兌duì脫tuō
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 脫 puts ⺼ (meat) beside 兌, which gives the sound; the simplified 脱 is a shorthand, and its parts are not the historical pieces.

Open 脱 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 穎; 颖 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
禾禾hégrain
Sound part声符shēngfú
頃
頃qǐng穎yǐng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 穎 pairs 禾 (grain) with 頃, which gives the pronunciation; the simplified 颖 is a later shorthand.

Open 颖 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape of 而 is a picture of a beard.

Open 而 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

出 combines 止 (foot) and 凵 (cave) to show a foot stepping out of a cave.

Open 出 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Idioms & Set PhrasesSuccess & Failure

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