Chinese idiom · 成语
鹤立鸡群
Meaning
A crane among chickens; standing out distinctly.
Character by character
Origin and story
Biographical anecdoteThe comparison was applied to Ji Shao, the son of Ji Kang. In the account associated with Dai Kui's discussion of the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove, someone tells Wang Rong that Ji Shao stood out in a crowd like a wild crane among chickens. The same image is preserved in Ji Shao's biography in the Book of Jin.
Its immediate subject is the striking dignity of a person's appearance, not an actual crane kept with domestic birds. The modern idiom condenses the longer comparison. It can praise exceptional ability as well as bearing, and can also describe an object that rises conspicuously above its surroundings.
Sources and further reading
In everyday life
她的作品在这次展览中鹤立鸡群，配色和构图都很有辨识度。
Her work stands out in this exhibition, with highly distinctive colors and composition.
Usually approving; identifies clear distinction within a group.