前ぜん人じん未み到とう

ぜ

ん

じ

ん

み

と

う

Freq.FrequencyTop 100,000

Meanings

1

noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no', noun

untrodden; unprecedented

yojijukugo (four-character idiom)

Describes a place, field, or achievement that no one has ever reached or accomplished before. Often used in news and formal contexts.

その探たん検けん家かは前

ぜん

人じん

未み

到とう

の

地ち

に

足あし

を

踏ふ

み

入い

れ

た

。

The explorer set foot in an untrodden land.

彼かの女じょは前ぜん人じん未み到とうの記き録ろくを打うち立たてた。

She set an unprecedented record.

Kanji

前in front, before
人person
未un-, not yet, hitherto
到arrival, proceed, reach
踏step, trample, carry through

Related words

未み踏とう
未踏 alone means 'untrodden' or 'unexplored', but 前人未到 emphasizes that no person has ever reached that point, adding a stronger sense of human achievement.
空くう前ぜん絶ぜつ後ご
空前絶後 means 'unprecedented and never to be repeated', focusing on the rarity of an event, while 前人未到 focuses on being the first to reach or achieve something.

Built from

前ぜん人じん+未み到とう

Written forms

前ぜん人じん未み到とう
Standard kanji spelling; the most common form in news and writing.
前ぜん人じん未み踏とう
Alternate spelling using 踏 (step/tread); also seen but less frequent than 前人未到.

Etymology

A yojijukugo composed of 前人 (previous people), 未 (not yet), and 到 (arrive/reach). The spelling 前人未踏 uses 踏 (step/tread) instead of 到, with essentially the same meaning.