出彩

chūcǎi

verb/adjective #9,156

Meanings

1 to be brilliant; to be outstanding
2 to give a remarkable performance
3 (traditional opera) to bleed from a wound on stage

Characters

to come out; to produce

color; brilliance; splendor

To produce brilliance — a performance or effort that shines.

Examples

她的演讲非常出彩。

Tā de yǎnjiǎng fēicháng chūcǎi.

Her speech was truly outstanding.

这个节目很出彩。

Zhège jiémù hěn chūcǎi.

This show is brilliant.

他在比赛中表现出彩。

Tā zài bǐsài zhōng biǎoxiàn chūcǎi.

He gave an outstanding performance in the competition.

Tips

history

Originally a Chinese opera term: 出彩 meant an actor actually bled on stage (彩 = blood). Over time the meaning shifted to 'brilliant performance' — quite the reversal.

usage

出彩 is always positive in modern usage. It's informal and vivid — great for praising performances, presentations, or creative work.

Stroke Order

出 chū

彩 cǎi