出類拔萃

Chinese

		to go out; to come out; to occur to go out; to come out; to occur; to produce; to go beyond; to rise; to put forth; to happen; (a measure word for dramas, plays, or operas)	kind; type; class kind; type; class; category; similar; like; to resemble	to stand out from one's fellows; to be outstanding
trad. (出類拔萃)		出	類	拔萃
simp. (出类拔萃)		出	类	拔萃

Etymology

From Mencius (《孟子·公孫丑上》):

麒麟之於走獸，鳳凰之於飛鳥，太山之於丘垤，河海之於行潦，類也。聖人之於民，亦類也。出於其類，拔乎其萃，自生民以來，未有盛於孔子也。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

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麒麟之于走兽，凤凰之于飞鸟，太山之于丘垤，河海之于行潦，类也。圣人之于民，亦类也。出于其类，拔乎其萃，自生民以来，未有盛于孔子也。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: Mencius, c. 4^th century BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

Qílín zhī yú zǒushòu, fènghuáng zhī yú fēiniǎo, tàishān zhī yú qiūdié, héhǎi zhī yú xíngliáo, lèi yě. Shèngrén zhī yú mín, yì lèi yě. Chū yú qí lèi, bá hū qí cuì, zì shēng mín yǐ lái, wèiyǒu shèng yú Kǒngzǐ yě. [Pinyin]

There is the Qi-lin among quadrupeds, the Feng-huang among birds, the Tai mountain among mounds and ant-hills, and rivers and seas among rain-pools. Though different in degree, they are the same in kind. So the sages among mankind are also the same in kind. But they stand out from their fellows, and rise above the level, and from the birth of mankind till now, there never has been one so complete as Confucius.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): chūlèibácuì

  (Zhuyin): ㄔㄨ ㄌㄟˋ ㄅㄚˊ ㄘㄨㄟˋ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): ceot¹ leoi⁶ bat⁶ seoi⁶
• Southern Min (Teochew, Peng'im): cug⁴ lui⁷ buêg⁸ zui⁶

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: chūlèibácuì
    • Zhuyin: ㄔㄨ ㄌㄟˋ ㄅㄚˊ ㄘㄨㄟˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: chulèibácuèi
    • Wade–Giles: chʻu¹-lei⁴-pa²-tsʻui⁴
    • Yale: chū-lèi-bá-tswèi
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: chuleybartsuey
    • Palladius: чулэйбацуй (čulɛjbacuj)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʈ͡ʂʰu⁵⁵ leɪ̯⁵¹ pä³⁵ t͡sʰu̯eɪ̯⁵¹/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: ceot¹ leoi⁶ bat⁶ seoi⁶
    • Yale: chēut leuih baht seuih
    • Cantonese Pinyin: tsoet⁷ loey⁶ bat⁹ soey⁶
    • Guangdong Romanization: cêd¹ lêu⁶ bed⁶ sêu⁶
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰɵt̚⁵ lɵy̯²² pɐt̚² sɵy̯²²/
• Southern Min
  • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: cug⁴ lui⁷ buêg⁸ zui⁶
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: tshuk lūi pue̍k tsŭi
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰuk̚²⁻⁴ lui¹¹ puek̚⁴⁻² t͡sui³⁵/

Idiom

出類拔萃

1. to excel the common; surpassing; preeminent; outstanding