前所未有
- Literal
- what has never existed before
- Figurative
- Unprecedented; something so big, so serious, or so new that nothing like it has been seen before.
Where does 前所未有 come from?
It doesn't come from any story: it's a set phrase of written Chinese built on classical grammar. 前 means "before, until now," and 所未有 pairs the particle 所, which turns a verb into a noun, with the negation 未: "that which has not yet existed." Hence "the like of which has never been seen." It usually works as a modifier, with 的 before a noun (前所未有的挑战), and it shows up constantly in news writing and reports, though people say it in conversation too.
How is 前所未有 used? Two examples
- 这几年电动车的销量增长是前所未有的。
The growth in electric car sales over the past few years is unprecedented.
- 疫情让整个行业面临前所未有的挑战。
The outbreak left the whole industry facing an unprecedented challenge.
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