<blockquote>
<p><a href="https://pedia.cloud.edu.tw/Entry/Detail/?title=%E5%87%BA%E4%BA%BA%E9%A0%AD%E5%9C%B0" rel="nofollow noreferrer">出人頭地</a></p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<p>比喻超越他人，獨露頭角 Metaphor to surpass others, to stand alone</p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<p>解釋： 讓他高出一頭。語本宋．歐陽修〈與梅聖俞書〉：「讀軾書，不覺汗出。快哉，快哉！老夫當避路，放他出一頭地也。』」後指超越他人，獨露頭角</p>
</blockquote>
<p>出 = 超出 (Exceed); 高出 (higher than)</p>
<p>人 = people/ others</p>
<p>頭 = head (refers to the length of one head -- used here as a measuring unit)</p>
<p>地 = ground</p>
<p>The origin of '出人頭地' was  a quote from a famous scholar 歐陽修: '(放他)出一頭地' = '(give way and let him) get one head length of ground ahead'</p>
<p>Long story short,  歐陽修 read a great article and remarked &quot;This author is great, I should give way and let him get one head length of ground ahead of me (in future achievements)&quot;</p>
<p>The modern usage of 出人頭地 is 'to become successful in society' in general</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-04-17T07:38:08.410Z
2021-04-18T10:37:03.310Z
2021-04-18T10:37:03.310Z
Tang Ho
<p>The idiom 出人头地 chūréntóudì means “stand out among one’s fellows”. How to mix the above four words and arrive at the above meaning?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-04-17T08:25:05.887Z
In English you have the saying -- "Head and Shoulders above the Rest"
Wayne Cheah
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-04-17T08:50:11.597Z
"Head and Shoulders Above the Rest" is mostly used in specific fields. For example, "his 3-points shot is head and shoulder above the rest of the NBA players"; While 出人头地 is a more general phrase for "Become successful in society". For example, became a high-rank officer, a CEO, or a sport champion.
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-04-18T10:37:03.457Z
It is perfectly tenable to say that a person "Becomes successful in society" because he or she stands "Head and Shoulders above the Rest" (of society) However, perhaps I should have explained that when I said in my comment that "In English you have the saying -- "Head and Shoulders above the Rest", I was pointing out the uncanny coincidence that there is an English Idiom where the "head" is also used as a metaphorical measurement unit.
Wayne Cheah
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-04-18T11:12:12.870Z
Becoming the winner.
Zhang
<grammar><idioms>
What does 出人头地 mean?
# What does 出人头地 mean?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2021-04-17)

The idiom 出人头地 chūréntóudì means “stand out among one’s fellows”. How to mix the above four words and arrive at the above meaning?

**Tags:** grammar, idioms

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: In English you have the saying -- "Head and Shoulders above the Rest"  
> **username_2**: "Head and Shoulders Above the Rest" is mostly used in specific fields. For example, "his 3-points shot is head and shoulder above the rest of the NBA players"; While 出人头地 is a more general phrase for "Become successful in society". For example, became a high-rank officer, a CEO, or a sport champion.  
> **username_1**: It is perfectly tenable to say that a person "Becomes successful in society" because he or she stands "Head and Shoulders above the Rest" (of society) However, perhaps I should have explained that when I said in my comment that "In English you have the saying -- "Head and Shoulders above the Rest", I was pointing out the uncanny coincidence that there is an English Idiom where the "head" is also used as a metaphorical measurement unit.  
> **username_3**: Becoming the winner.  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2021-04-17. Score: 2 | Accepted answer

> [出人頭地](https://pedia.cloud.edu.tw/Entry/Detail/?title=%E5%87%BA%E4%BA%BA%E9%A0%AD%E5%9C%B0)

> 比喻超越他人，獨露頭角 Metaphor to surpass others, to stand alone

> 解釋： 讓他高出一頭。語本宋．歐陽修〈與梅聖俞書〉：「讀軾書，不覺汗出。快哉，快哉！老夫當避路，放他出一頭地也。』」後指超越他人，獨露頭角

出 = 超出 (Exceed); 高出 (higher than)

人 = people/ others

頭 = head (refers to the length of one head -- used here as a measuring unit)

地 = ground

The origin of '出人頭地' was a quote from a famous scholar 歐陽修: '(放他)出一頭地' = '(give way and let him) get one head length of ground ahead'

Long story short, 歐陽修 read a great article and remarked "This author is great, I should give way and let him get one head length of ground ahead of me (in future achievements)"

The modern usage of 出人頭地 is 'to become successful in society' in general


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