前無古人

Chinese

		front, forepart; in front; past front, forepart; in front; past; former; previous; last; before; preceding; earlier; ago; future; time ahead; first; top; battlefront; to move forward	not have	the ancients; people from ancient times; forefathers the ancients; people from ancient times; forefathers; early man; Homo sapiens
trad. (前無古人)		前	無	古人
simp. (前无古人)		前	无	古人

Etymology

From the first verse of 《登幽州台歌》 by Chen Zi'ang (661–702).

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): qiánwúgǔrén

  (Zhuyin): ㄑㄧㄢˊ ㄨˊ ㄍㄨˇ ㄖㄣˊ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): cin⁴ mou⁴ gu² jan⁴

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: qiánwúgǔrén
    • Zhuyin: ㄑㄧㄢˊ ㄨˊ ㄍㄨˇ ㄖㄣˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: ciánwúgǔrén
    • Wade–Giles: chʻien²-wu²-ku³-jên²
    • Yale: chyán-wú-gǔ-rén
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: chyanwuguuren
    • Palladius: цяньугужэнь (cjanʹugužɛnʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕʰi̯ɛn³⁵ u³⁵ ku²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʐən³⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: cin⁴ mou⁴ gu² jan⁴
    • Yale: chìhn mòuh gú yàhn
    • Cantonese Pinyin: tsin⁴ mou⁴ gu² jan⁴
    • Guangdong Romanization: qin⁴ mou⁴ gu² yen⁴
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰiːn²¹ mou̯²¹ kuː³⁵ jɐn²¹/

Idiom

前無古人

1. unprecedented; unique

Synonyms

• 前無古人，後無來者／前无古人，后无来者 (qiánwúgǔrén, hòuwúláizhě)
• 空前絕後／空前绝后 (kōngqiánjuéhòu)