Chinese Idiom 55

Meaning: This idiom translates to "green comes from blue." It implies that the student surpasses the master. It suggests that the younger generation can excel and surpass the achievements of the older generation.

Explanation: The phrase originates from a story where a disciple's fabric turned out even better than his master's. The color "青" (qīng) represents the color green, which was originally created by mixing blue and yellow.

Usage: "青出于蓝" is used to acknowledge the achievements of successors and the continuous improvement and evolution of knowledge and skills.

Example: When a student surpasses their teacher in a particular field, one might say, "他的成就真是青出于蓝" (tā de chéng jiù zhēn shì qīng chū yú lán), meaning "His achievements truly demonstrate that green comes from blue."