前無古人，後無來者

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		back; behind; rear back; behind; rear; afterwards; after; later	not have	future generations; the future; future events
trad. (前無古人，後無來者)		前	無	古人	，	後	無	來者
simp. (前无古人，后无来者)		前	无	古人	，	后	无	来者

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): qiánwúgǔrén, hòuwúláizhě

  (Zhuyin): ㄑㄧㄢˊ ㄨˊ ㄍㄨˇ ㄖㄣˊ , ㄏㄡˋ ㄨˊ ㄌㄞˊ ㄓㄜˇ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): cin⁴ mou⁴ gu² jan⁴, hau⁶ mou⁴ loi⁴ ze²

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: qiánwúgǔrén, hòuwúláizhě
    • Zhuyin: ㄑㄧㄢˊ ㄨˊ ㄍㄨˇ ㄖㄣˊ , ㄏㄡˋ ㄨˊ ㄌㄞˊ ㄓㄜˇ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: ciánwúgǔrén, hòuwúláijhě
    • Wade–Giles: chʻien²-wu²-ku³-jên², hou⁴-wu²-lai²-chê³
    • Yale: chyán-wú-gǔ-rén-, hòu-wú-lái-jě
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: chyanwuguuren, howwulaijee
    • Palladius: цяньугужэнь, хоуулайчжэ (cjanʹugužɛnʹ, xouulajčžɛ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕʰi̯ɛn³⁵ u³⁵ ku²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʐən³⁵ xoʊ̯⁵¹ u³⁵ laɪ̯³⁵ ʈ͡ʂɤ²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: cin⁴ mou⁴ gu² jan⁴, hau⁶ mou⁴ loi⁴ ze²
    • Yale: chìhn mòuh gú yàhn, hauh mòuh lòih jé
    • Cantonese Pinyin: tsin⁴ mou⁴ gu² jan⁴, hau⁶ mou⁴ loi⁴ dze²
    • Guangdong Romanization: qin⁴ mou⁴ gu² yen⁴, heo⁶ mou⁴ loi⁴ zé²
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰiːn²¹ mou̯²¹ kuː³⁵ jɐn²¹ hɐu̯²² mou̯²¹ lɔːi̯²¹ t͡sɛː³⁵/

Idiom

前無古人，後無來者

1. unprecedented and never to be duplicated; the first and the last; unmatched; unique

Synonyms

• 前無古人／前无古人 (qiánwúgǔrén)
• 空前絕後／空前绝后 (kōngqiánjuéhòu)