出类拔萃

Pronunciation: chū lèi bá cuì Literal meaning: Out of the kind, above the gathered

Origin & Usage

This one comes from the Mencius, where Confucius is described as having come out from his kind and risen above the gathered crowd — 出于其类，拔乎其萃. To emerge (出) from one's category (类) and stand above (拔) the assembly (萃) is not to be better at the same thing but to be no longer comparable. Somebody who has stepped outside the field they were being compared with.

Examples

English: "Her research paper was clearly superior to all others submitted to the conference"

Chinese: 她的研究论文明显优于提交给会议的所有其他论文