史无前例
shǐ wú qián lì
unprecedented
Character by character
史shǐ
history
history
无wú
no
no
前qián
previous
previous
例lì
example
example
Example
今年夏天的高温史无前例，很多城市都打破了纪录。
This summer’s heat was unprecedented, and many cities broke their records.
Tone: neutral.
Usage and origin
Neutral: it fits a feat or a disaster. A news staple with 规模, 挑战 and 冲击. In the 1960s and 70s it was the fixed epithet of the Cultural Revolution, so you will meet it in older texts.
Learn this in Lesson 116 · HSK 7–9: 深中通道通车 (The Shenzhen–Zhongshan Link opens)
A dialogue, a reading, word cards with audio and a drill that uses it, in Learn Chinese with Bao. The first lessons of every level are free.
Open the lesson →