諺語 · a single proverb
青出於藍
Simplified: 青出于蓝
What does 青出於藍 (qīng chū yú lán) mean?
青出於藍 (qīng chū yú lán) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語). Word for word it reads "indigo comes from the blue plant but is bluer than it." In use it means: The student surpasses the teacher; the next generation improves on what came before. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Wood note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Monkey.
Literally: "indigo comes from the blue plant but is bluer than it."
The reading
The dye is extracted from the plant and becomes a deeper blue than the plant ever was. This is not betrayal. This is the whole point. The teacher who is surpassed by the student has not failed. That teacher has succeeded in the deepest way possible: producing something better than themselves.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Xunzi 荀子, Quanxue 勸學
Sits beside
Keep reading
Return to the Proverb Pond to draw another of the eighty-seven, or hear one read aloud. Read the rest of its chapter in Wisdom & Learning, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Monkey, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 青出於藍 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 青出於藍 (qīng chū yú lán) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語), and it comes from Xunzi 荀子, Quanxue 勸學. It is living Chinese heritage, given here with per-character pinyin and its source so you can trust the line, not a phrase invented in English.
How do you pronounce 青出於藍?
In Mandarin it is qīng chū yú lán. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 青出於藍 aloud in Mandarin.