后来居上 - ChineseDict

hou4

后

後

lai2

来

來

ju1

居

shang4

上

chengyu

lit. late-comer lives above (idiom); the up-and-coming youngster outstrips the older generation
the pupil surpasses the master

后 (后): surname Hou
来 (來): 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[hui2 lai5]); ever since (as in 自古以來|自古以来[zi4 gu3 yi3 lai2]); for the past (amount of time); (prefix) the coming ...; the next ... (as in 來世|来世[lai2 shi4]); (between two verbs) in order to; (after a round number) approximately; (used after 得[de2] to indicate possibility, as in 談得來|谈得来[tan2 de5 lai2], or after 不[bu4] to indicate impossibility, as in 吃不來|吃不来[chi1 bu5 lai2])
居 (居): surname Ju
上 (上): used in 上聲|上声[shang3 sheng1]

Examples