Definition
闻所未闻 is a four-character idiom (chengyu) that literally means 'hear what has never been heard'. It describes something so extraordinary, shocking, or unprecedented that you have never heard of it before. It is used as a predicate (这件事真是闻所未闻) or attribute (闻所未闻的事情). The structure is classical: 闻 (hear) + 所 (that which) + 未 (not yet) + 闻 (hear).
f.e.
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 gùshi.He told an unheard-of story.
- 闻所未闻。Zhè zhǒng wén suǒ wèi wén de zuòfǎ yǐnqǐ le zhēngyì.This unprecedented practice caused controversy.
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