名列前茅
- Literal
- the name placed among the rushes of the vanguard
- Figurative
- To rank among the very top of a list, whether it's exam scores, sales figures, or any other ranking.
Where does 名列前茅 come from?
The phrase 前茅 comes from the 《左传》, in its description of how the army of Chu marched: ahead of the main body went a forward party that signaled back to the columns behind. The traditional reading takes that 茅 to be the rushes this vanguard held up as a signal, and from there 前茅 came to mean "those at the front." The modern use, with 名 ("name") and 列 ("to be listed"), is far later and has nothing military about it: today it describes whoever sits at the top of a ranking.
Source (出处): 《左传》
How is 名列前茅 used? Two examples
- 他每次考试成绩都名列前茅，老师很喜欢他。
He's among the top scorers in every exam, and the teacher is very fond of him.
- 这家公司的销售额在行业里名列前茅。
This company's sales figures put it near the top of the industry.
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