前所未闻 (qián suǒ wèi wén) — unheard-of, unprecedented

Definition

Strongly formal chengyu meaning 'unheard-of, unprecedented' — a situation or event that has never been heard of before, used in written or rhetorical contexts rather than casual speech.

idiom
unheard-ofunprecedented

Examples

  • 前所未闻，。
    Zhè jiàn shì zhēn shì qián suǒ wèi wén, ràng rén nán yǐ zhì xìn.
    This matter is truly unheard-of, hard to believe.
  • 前所未闻。
    Tā tí chū le yí gè qián suǒ wèi wén de jiàn yì.
    He made an unprecedented suggestion.
  • 前所未闻。
    Zhè zhǒng qián suǒ wèi wén de xiàn xiàng yǐn qǐ le kē xué jiā de zhù yì.
    This unprecedented phenomenon attracted scientists' attention.

Origin

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

In the older form of 前, 止 (foot) and 舟 (boat) showed a foot on a boat moving forward; in the current 前 those parts are shortened.

Open 前 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
斤斤jīnaxe
Sound part声符shēngfú
戶
戶hù所suǒ
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

所 pairs 斤, an axe, with 戶, which gives the sound hù; the old meaning was the sound of logging.

Open 所 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape 未 shows a tree with extra branches spreading above its trunk, like lush, overlapping limbs.

Open 未 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 聞; 闻 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
耳耳ěrear
Sound part声符shēngfú
門
門mén聞wén
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In the traditional form 聞, 門 supplies the sound and 耳 is an ear; this explanation is about 聞, not the simplified 闻.

Open 闻 →

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