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空前绝后 (kōng qián jué hòu) — unprecedented and unrepeatable; unique; unparalleled

Definition

A four-character idiom meaning 'never before and never again' — used to praise something as absolutely unique in history, both unprecedented and unrepeatable.

idiom
unprecedented and unrepeatableuniqueunparalleled

Examples

  • 空前绝后。
    Zhè wèi huà jiā de jì yì kě yǐ shuō shì kōng qián jué hòu de.
    This painter's skill can be described as unprecedented and unrepeatable.
  • 空前绝后。
    Nà ge shí dài de fán róng zài lì shǐ shàng shì kōng qián jué hòu de.
    The prosperity of that era was unparalleled in history.
  • 空前绝后，。
    Tā chuàng zào de jì lù kōng qián jué hòu, zhì jīn wú rén dǎ pò.
    The record he set is unprecedented and unrepeatable — no one has broken it to this day.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

空前empty before
空kōngmake empty前qiánbefore
动宾Verb + object
绝后cut off after
绝juécut off后hòuafter
动宾Verb + object

空前 (empty before) and 绝后 (cut off after) stand in parallel, meaning nothing before or after.

Characters in this word

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
穴穴xuécave, hole
Sound part声符shēngfú
工
工gōng空kōng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

空 is built from 穴, a cave or hole, and 工, which gives the sound.

Open 空 →

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 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 絕; 绝 is its simplified writing.

In the traditional form 絕, 刀 (knife) and 幺 (silk) show a knife cutting silk threads. The simplified 绝 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not the original picture.

Open 绝 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 後; 后 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 後 showed 夊 (foot) bound by 幺 (thread), a foot caught by a rope and lagging behind; the simplified 后 is a later abbreviation, and 后 also has a different meaning.

Open 后 →
Appears in
HSK 2.0 Level 6Idioms & Set Phrases

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