DICTIONARY · CC-CEDICT

專美於前

简专美于前 · 繁專美於前

Mandarin · pinyin zhuān měi yú qián

to monopolize the limelight (idiom)
to get all the glory
to rank highest

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Characters in this entry

專: Look up this written character
美: měi · beautiful, pretty; pleasing
於: yú · yū · in, at, on; interjection alas!
前: qián · in front, forward; preceding
专: zhuān · monopolize, take sole possession
于: yú · in, on, at; go to; surname

Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

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Mandarin tones

1–3–2–2 · zhuan1 mei3 yu2 qian2

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Follow a written form into the eight pinned witnesses: Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Sunzi and the Mao Shijing. A match is a place to investigate; it does not prove that a modern dictionary sense fits the passage.

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