Chinese word

前无古人

Pronunciation

Pinyinqián wú gǔ rén

Meaning

  • idiomunprecedented

Example

这个发现真是前无古人。zhè ge fā xiàn zhēn shì qián wú gǔ rén

This discovery is truly unprecedented.

Illustration for 前无古人 (unprecedented)

More examples

这项计划取得了前无古人的成功。zhè xiàng jì huà qǔ dé le qián wú gǔ rén de chéng gōng

This plan achieved unprecedented success.

Core concept

The present reaches a point that earlier history has never reached.

Common phrases

  • 前无古人的发现qián wú gǔ rén de fā xiàn

    unprecedented discovery

  • 前无古人的壮举qián wú gǔ rén de zhuàng jǔ

    unprecedented feat

  • 前无古人的创举qián wú gǔ rén de chuàng jǔ

    unprecedented pioneering undertaking

Similar words

前所未有qián suǒ wèi yǒu: Describes something happening for the first time in history or experience.
空前绝后kōng qián jué hòu: Describes something with no past equal and little chance of a future repeat.
绝无仅有jué wú jín yǒu: Describes something so rare that it has almost no equal.
史无前例shǐ wú qián lì: Describes something never previously recorded in history.

Definition in Chinese

表示某种现象或成就在此前从未发生过，强调其空前绝后的特点。biǎo shì móu zhǒng xiàn xiàng huò chéng jiù zài cǐ qián cóng wèi fā shēng guò qiáng diào qí kōng qián jué hòu de tè diǎn

Word origin

The literal structure of 前无古人 (qiánwúgǔrén, "no one before it") places the subject ahead of all earlier people and their achievements, which gives the idiom its sense of a first occurrence.

Usage tips

  • The idiom often appears with serious or celebratory news, while ordinary conversation more often uses milder wording for an unusual but unimportant event.

Opposites

Word lists with this word