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后来居上

hòu lái jū shàngdictionary entry
DEFINITION CC-CEDICT
(idiom) see 後來者居上|后来者居上[hòu lái zhě jū shàng]
Sources & editorial notes

Reference definitions: CC-CEDICT contributors and MDBG, CC BY-SA 4.0. Source release 2026-10-27T01:55:52Z. Imported 2026-10-27. Definition wording and meaning order are retained. Recognized pronunciation references are displayed with tone marks; the original source record is available below.

Source record: cd-6daaa723c277c07f. Source SHA-256: bbc4b27f26bee1a262f4d7939667a040c7857c7fc0200a2fa7a86d3352a09eae.

Original source entry:

後來居上 后来居上 [hou4 lai2 ju1 shang4] /(idiom) see 後來者居上|后来者居上[hou4 lai2 zhe3 ju1 shang4]/

Reference definitions and teaching material have separate provenance.

Reference information

The definitions above are from CC-CEDICT. Examples and usage notes are available on selected entries.

Character information

View the individual characters. Their meanings do not necessarily explain the meaning of the whole word.

Other forms in these source records: 後來居上

  • 后
    hòu

    empress / queen / (archaic) monarch / ruler / back / behind / rear / afterwards / after / later / post-

    Hòu

    surname Hou

  • 来
    lái

    to come / (used as a substitute for a more specific verb) / hither (directional complement for motion toward the speaker, as in 回來|回来[huí lai]) / ever since (as in 自古以來|自古以来[zì gǔ yǐ lái]) / for the past (amount of time) / (prefix) the coming ...; the next ... (as in 來世|来世[lái shì]) / (between two verbs) in order to / (after a round number) approximately / (used after 得[dé] to indicate possibility, as in 談得來|谈得来[tán de lái], or after 不[bù] to indicate impossibility, as in 吃不來|吃不来[chī bu lái])

  • 居
    jī

    (archaic) sentence-final particle expressing a doubting attitude

    jū

    (literary) to reside; to live / (bound form) to occupy (a position) / (literary) to store up / (literary) to remain; to stay / (bound form) residence; dwelling / (bound form) used in names of restaurants

    Jū

    surname Ju

  • 上
    shǎng

    used in 上聲|上声[shǎng shēng]

    shàng

    (bound form) up; upper; above; previous / first (of multiple parts) / to climb; to get onto; to go up / to attend (class or university) / (directional complement) up / (noun suffix) on; above

Reference definitions from CC-CEDICT.