脱颖而出

1. Basic Information

• Pinyin: tuō yǐng ér chū
• English Translation: To stand out, to emerge prominently
• Idiom Composition: 「脱」（To emerge, to come out）＋「颖」（Tip of a grain, metaphor for talent）＋「而」（And）＋「出」（To appear, to come out）
• Meaning: Like the tip of an awl piercing through a bag, it describes talent or ability that stands out prominently among many.

2. Detailed Meaning and Nuances

「脱颖而出」 contains the following nuances:

• Manifestation of talent: Expresses the clear emergence of previously hidden talent or ability.
• Outstanding presence: Indicates a situation where someone or something is clearly superior and stands out compared to others.
• Victory in competition: Means achieving success by standing out among many competitors.
• Result of effort: Implies that years of effort and study have borne fruit, leading to the blossoming of talent.

3. Usage

「脱颖而出」 is mainly used in the following contexts:

• Success in competition: Used to describe people or things that have achieved outstanding results in highly competitive situations such as exams, contests, or business.
  • Example:「在这次比赛中，他凭借出色的表现脱颖而出，赢得了冠军。」
    （In this competition, he stood out prominently with an excellent performance and won the championship.）
• Selection of talent: Describes a situation where especially outstanding individuals are selected from many candidates.
  • Example:「经过层层选拔，这位年轻的科学家终于在众多候选人中脱颖而出。」
    （After multiple rounds of selection, this young scientist finally stood out among many candidates.）
• Emphasizing outstanding features: Used to describe products or works that have outstanding features compared to others.
  • Example:「她的设计方案在众多提案中脱颖而出，得到了评委的一致好评。」
    （Her design proposal stood out among many submissions and received unanimous praise from the judges.）

Additional Examples:

1. 在这个项目中，他的领导才能使他脱颖而出，成为了团队的核心。
   （In this project, his leadership talent made him stand out, becoming the core of the team.）
2. 尽管竞争激烈，但这家新创公司凭借其创新的产品脱颖而出，迅速占领了市场。
   （Despite fierce competition, this startup stood out with its innovative products and quickly captured the market.）
3. 经过多年的努力，她终于在音乐界脱颖而出，成为了一名著名的歌唱家。
   （After years of effort, she finally stood out in the music world and became a famous singer.）
4. 这篇文章观点新颖，论据充分，在众多投稿中脱颖而出，被选为优秀论文。
   （This article had fresh viewpoints and solid arguments, standing out among many submissions and was selected as an excellent paper.）
5. 他在众多应聘者中脱颖而出，凭借的是他丰富的经验和出色的沟通能力。
   （He stood out among many applicants thanks to his rich experience and excellent communication skills.）

4. Cultural Background and Notes

• '脱颖而出' originates from the story of Mao Sui in the 'Records of the Grand Historian' (Shiji). Mao Sui was a retainer of Lord Pingyuan who volunteered as an envoy and successfully secured an alliance with Chu. Lord Pingyuan likened Mao Sui's talent to the tip of an awl piercing through a bag, revealing his previously unnoticed abilities.
• From this story, the phrase 'an awl in a bag' was coined, meaning that a talented person will inevitably stand out when given the opportunity.
• '脱颖而出' is used not just to indicate standing out, but to positively recognize outstanding talent and ability.

5. Similar and Opposite Idioms

• Similar Idioms:
  • 出类拔萃 (chū lèi bá cuì): To be especially outstanding among peers.
  • 鹤立鸡群 (hè lì jī qún): To stand out like a crane among chickens, meaning exceptionally outstanding among ordinary people.
• Opposite Idioms:
  • 平庸无奇 (píng yōng wú qí): Ordinary and unremarkable, lacking any outstanding qualities.
  • 默默无闻 (mò mò wú wén): Unknown and unheard of, not recognized by others.

6. Summary

'脱颖而出' is a commonly used idiom in today's competitive society to praise those who have achieved success or possess outstanding talent. Its origin traces back to an ancient Chinese story, providing encouragement and hope to many throughout history. Understanding the background and the positive connotations embedded in this idiom allows for deeper empathy and more persuasive expression when using it.