Chinese idiom · 成语
青出于蓝
Meaning
The student surpasses the teacher; to exceed one’s origins.
Character by character
Origin and story
Philosophical analogyThe Quanxue (勸學, ‘Encouraging Learning’) chapter of Xunzi (荀子) opens by insisting that learning should not stop. It compares blue dye extracted from an indigo plant with its source: the resulting color is deeper. It also compares ice with the water from which it forms and shaped wood with its original condition.
These images illustrate how cultivation and learning can transform what one starts with. The passage is not a tale about a named student defeating a teacher. The idiom later became a familiar compliment for pupils surpassing their teachers, or a younger generation exceeding its predecessors.
Sources and further reading
In everyday life
当年是我教她做面包，如今她的手艺已经青出于蓝了。
I taught her to bake bread years ago, and now her skill has surpassed mine.
A positive comparison between a learner and the person or tradition they learned from.