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
  • 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 u³⁵⁻⁵⁵ ku²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʐən³⁵ xoʊ̯⁵¹ u³⁵ laɪ̯³⁵⁻⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂɤ²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/
  • Cantonese

Idiom

前無古人，後無來者

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

Synonyms
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