后浪推前浪 (hòu làng tuī qián làng) — the new excels the old; each new generation surpasses the previous one

Definition

Idiom (literally 'the rear wave pushes the front wave') used to praise progress: each new generation surpasses the last. Common in writing about social, scientific, or cultural change.

idiom
the new excels the oldeach new generation surpasses the previous one

Examples

  • 后浪推前浪，。
    hòu làng tuī qián làng, Xiàn zài de nián qīng rén bǐ wǒ men dāng nián lì hài duō le.
    The new excels the old — today's young people are much more capable than we were back then.
  • 后浪推前浪，。
    Kē jì fā zhǎn jiù xiàng hòu làng tuī qián làng, xīn chǎn pǐn hěn kuài qǔ dài le jiù chǎn pǐn.
    Technological development is like waves pushing forward — new products quickly replace old ones.
  • 后浪推前浪，。
    Cháng jiāng hòu làng tuī qián làng, yí dài gèng bǐ yí dài qiáng.
    The waves of the Yangtze River push ahead — each generation is stronger than the last.

Origin

Characters in this word

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 後; 后 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 後 showed 夊 (foot) bound by 幺 (thread), a foot caught by a rope and lagging behind; the simplified 后 is a later abbreviation, and 后 also has a different meaning.

Open 后 →

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

Meaning part形符xíngfú
水水shuǐ
Sound part声符shēngfú
良
良liáng浪làng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

浪 pairs 水 (water) with 良, which supplies the sound. The water part points to its meaning of waves.

Open 浪 →

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

Meaning part形符xíngfú
扌Written in full as手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
隹
隹zhuī推tuī
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The left side 扌 is a hand, and the right side 隹 gives the sound; the character shows pushing with the hand.

Open 推 →

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

In the older form of 前, 止 (foot) and 舟 (boat) showed a foot on a boat moving forward; in the current 前 those parts are shortened.

Open 前 →

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

Meaning part形符xíngfú
水水shuǐ
Sound part声符shēngfú
良
良liáng浪làng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

浪 pairs 水 (water) with 良, which supplies the sound. The water part points to its meaning of waves.

Open 浪 →

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.