后来居上 — “To surpass one's predecessors or those who started earlier”
后来居上 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to surpass one's predecessors or those who started earlier”. To catch up and overtake, especially referring to newcomers or those who join later achieving greater success or prominence. Literally, “Latercomers take the lead”.
后来居上 Pronunciation and Pinyin
- 后hòu
- 来lái
- 居jū
- 上shàng
后来居上 Character Breakdown
Example Sentence with 后来居上
Origin and Story of 后来居上
Ji An lived during the reign of Emperor Wu of the Western Han Dynasty. He was respected for his uprightness, integrity, and courage to speak the truth. He was unconstrained by minor details in his conduct and governance, focusing on practical results. Although his achievements were not outwardly spectacular, he managed his prefecture in an orderly manner. Consequently, the court transferred him from Governor of Donghai to Chief Commandant for Guest Rituals (主爵都尉), an official responsible for the appointment and dismissal of local officials.
One day, Emperor Wu declared his intention to implement benevolent Confucian policies for the benefit of the common people. Before the Emperor could finish, Ji An interjected, "Your Majesty's heart is filled with greed and desires, yet you pretend to practice benevolent governance. What's the point of such an effort?" His blunt remark left the Emperor speechless.
Emperor Wu's face instantly changed, and he adjourned the court. All the court officials held their breath for Ji An, fearing he had brought great misfortune upon himself. After returning to his palace, Emperor Wu remarked to his attendants that Ji An was perhaps too crude and straightforward. From then on, Ji An's official position never advanced.
When he was Chief Commandant for Guest Rituals, Gongsun Hong and Zhang Tang were still obscure junior officials. Later, they rapidly ascended; Gongsun Hong became Prime Minister, and Zhang Tang became Imperial Censor, while Ji An remained in his original position. One day, Ji An complained to Emperor Wu, "Your Majesty uses your officials like stacking firewood: 'Latercomers come out on top' (后来者居上)!" Emperor Wu, of course, understood this as a grumble. He then turned to his subordinates and said, "Indeed, one must study! Listen to Ji An, he's becoming more and more unreasonable!"
This story is from "The Biographies of Ji An and Zheng Dang Shi" in *Records of the Grand Historian*. The idiom "后来居上" (hòu lái jū shàng) now typically means that those who start later can surpass their predecessors, which is quite different from Ji An's original intention of expressing his frustration over being overlooked while others were promoted.
Idioms Related to 后来居上
Synonyms of 后来居上
Antonyms of 后来居上
More idioms starting with 后
- hòu后bù不wéi为lì例not to be taken as a precedent
- hòu后bù不jiàn僭xiān先Latercomers do not overstep earlier ones
- hòu后yǎng仰qián前hé合rock back and forth with laughter
- hòu后huì会kě可qī期We can expect to meet again
- hòu后huì会wú无qī期parting ways with no definite date
- hòu后huì会yǒu有qī期We'll meet again
- hòu后huì会nán难qī期Uncertain when we will meet again
- hòu后fā发zhì制rén人counterattack after opponent's move
- hòu后tái台lǎo老bǎn板real power behind the scenes
- hòu后hé合qián前yǎng仰rocking with laughter
- hòu后shí实xiān先shēng声intimidate first, act later
- hòu后xiàng巷qián前jiē街the entire neighborhood and its residents
Questions about 后来居上
- What does 后来居上 mean?
- 后来居上 (hòu lái jū shàng) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to surpass one's predecessors or those who started earlier”.
- How do you pronounce 后来居上?
- 后来居上 is pronounced hòu lái jū shàng in Mandarin Chinese.
- What does 后来居上 literally mean?
- Literally, 后来居上 means “Latercomers take the lead”. It is used to mean “to surpass one's predecessors or those who started earlier”.
- Where does 后来居上 come from?
- 后来居上 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
- What is the Chinese definition of 后来居上?
- 后来的超过先前的。有以称赞后起之秀超过前辈。