出人头地
出人头地 (chū rén tóu dì) literally means “stand a head above others” and expresses “achieve outstanding success”. This idiom is used when describing situations involving success and perseverance.
Also searched as: chu ren tou di, chu ren tou di,出人头地 meaning, 出人头地 in english
Achieve outstanding success
Pronunciation: chū rén tóu dì Literal meaning: Stand a head above others
Origin & Usage
Ouyang Xiu, then the most powerful literary figure in the empire, wrote to a friend about a young examination candidate: I should get out of this man's way and let him stand a head (头) above (出) other men (人) in the world (地). The candidate was Su Shi, and Ouyang Xiu turned out to be right. The phrase describes rising clearly above one's peers, and it carries a faint trace of the original generosity — someone senior stepping aside is the setting in which it was coined.
Examples
English: "With her innovative ideas, she truly stands out from the crowd."
Chinese: 凭借她的创新想法，她出人头地。
Related Chinese Idioms
Similar idioms about success & perseverance
人才辈出
rén cái bèi chū
Continuous talent emergence
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人定胜天
rén dìng shèng tiān
Human effort can overcome nature
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举世闻名
jǔ shì wén míng
Global recognition
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举世瞩目
jǔ shì zhǔ mù
Global attention
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流芳百世
liú fāng bǎi shì
Enduring good reputation
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名垂青史
míng chuí qīng shǐ
Eternal legacy
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首屈一指
shǒu qū yī zhǐ
Foremost; top-ranked
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惊心动魄
jīng xīn dòng pò
Thrilling, hair-raising
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does 出人头地 mean in English?
出人头地 (chū rén tóu dì) literally translates to “Stand a head above others” and is used to express “Achieve outstanding success”. This Chinese idiom belongs to the Success & Perseverance category.
When is 出人头地 used?
Situation: With her innovative ideas, she truly stands out from the crowd.
What is the pinyin for 出人头地?
The pinyin pronunciation for 出人头地 is “chū rén tóu dì”.