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鲜为人知

鮮為人知
xiǎnwéirénzhī
idiom #30,146

Meanings

  1. 1 rarely known to anyone (idiom)
  2. 2 little-known
  3. 3 almost unknown

Characters

鲜
xiǎn
rare; few
为
wéi
by; to be
人
rén
person; people
知
zhī
to know
Literally 'rarely by people known' — classical passive word order.

Examples

这位画家有一段鲜为人知的过去。
Zhè wèi huàjiā yǒu yī duàn xiǎnwéirénzhī de guòqù.
This painter has a little-known past.
小镇上有许多鲜为人知的故事。
Xiǎo zhèn shàng yǒu xǔduō xiǎnwéirénzhī de gùshì.
The small town has many stories few people know.
他在学术界的贡献鲜为人知。
Tā zài xuéshùjiè de gòngxiàn xiǎnwéirénzhī.
His contributions to academia are little known.

Tips

mistakes
鲜 here is read xiǎn (rare, few), not xiān (fresh). A frequent mispronunciation — 鲜 changes tone with meaning.
usage
Typical attributive: 鲜为人知的 + noun (秘密 secret, 历史 history, 故事 story). Evokes hidden depth — often introduces revelations or untold stories.

Stroke Order

鲜 xiān
为 wèi
人 rén
知 zhī