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闻所未闻 (wén suǒ wèi wén) — unheard-of, unprecedented, shocking (of events, news, stories)

Definition

A formal chengyu meaning 'unheard-of' — used for things so strange or shocking the listener has never encountered them. Reads as stronger and more literary than plain 前所未有 (unprecedented).

idiom
unheard-ofunprecedentedshocking (of events, news, stories)

Examples

  • 闻所未闻。
    Zhè jiàn shì zhēn shì wén suǒ wèi wén.
    This matter is truly unheard-of.
  • 闻所未闻。
    Tā jiǎng le yí gè wén suǒ wèi wén de gù shi.
    He told an unheard-of story.
  • 闻所未闻。
    Zhè zhǒng wén suǒ wèi wén de zuò fǎ yǐn qǐ le zhēng yì.
    This unprecedented practice caused controversy.

Origin

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.

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 →

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 →
Appears in
Idioms & Set Phrases

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