📖 Meaning
Refers to something that has never happened or existed before. It describes a situation, event, or achievement that is completely unprecedented and without any historical parallel.
📜 Origin Story
The idiom first appeared in 'Que Sao Bian' (《却扫编》) by Xu Du (徐度) of the Song dynasty. It was used to describe how Deng Xunwu (邓洵武), a military official, assumed the position of Junior Guardian (少保) leading the Bureau of Military Affairs without concurrently holding the title of Military Commissioner (节钺) — an arrangement that had never been seen before in the dynasty's history. The phrase thus entered the language as a way to mark historically unprecedented events.
💡 Example Usage
这项技术突破在人类历史上是前所未有的。
This technological breakthrough is unprecedented in human history.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 前所未有
- Pinyin: qián suǒ wèi yǒu
- Literal Translation: before, that which, not yet, existed
- Category: Condition
- Characters: 4