行行出状元

行行出狀元

hánghángchūzhuàngyuán

idiom

Meanings

1 every trade produces its own top expert
2 you can excel in any profession

Characters

trade, profession

trade (reduplicated: every trade)

produce, bring forth

condition, rank

Examples

别小看厨师，三百六十行，行行出状元。

Bié xiǎokàn chúshī, sānbǎi liùshí háng, háng háng chū zhuàngyuán.

Don't look down on chefs — every profession has its masters.

只要肯下功夫，行行出状元。

Zhǐyào kěn xià gōngfu, háng háng chū zhuàngyuán.

Put in the work and you can be the best in any field.

Tips

culture

状元 was the top scorer in the imperial civil-service exam. The saying democratizes that prestige: anyone who masters their trade is a 状元 in their own right.

mistakes

行 here is háng ('profession'), not xíng ('to go'). A common learner misreading.

Stroke Order

行 xíng

出 chū

状 zhuàng

元 yuán