喧宾夺主 in English xuan1 bin1 duo2 zhu3 Meaning

Meanings

  • literally (word for word) the voice of the guest overwhelms that of the host (idiomatic expression)
  • metaphorically a minor player upstages the main attraction
  • minor details obscure the main point
  • the sauce is better than the fish

Simplified Characters

喧 宾 夺 主

Traditional Characters

喧 賓 奪 主

Pinyin

xuan1 bin1 duo2 zhu3

Literal

Literal explanation, with pronunciation and meaning of each character.

喧xuan1clamor 宾bin1visitor 夺duo2to seize 主zhu3owner