鲜为人知

鮮為人知

xiǎnwéi-rénzhī

idiom #30,146

Meanings

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

Characters

Literally 'rarely by people known' - classical passive word order.

Examples

HSK 2

这位画家有一段鲜为人知的过去。

Zhèwèi huàjiā yǒu yī duàn xiǎnwéi-rénzhī de guòqù.

This painter has a little-known past.

HSK 6

小镇上有许多鲜为人知的故事。

Xiǎozhèn shàng yǒu xǔduō xiǎnwéi-rénzhī de gùshì.

The small town has many stories few people know.

HSK 6

他在学术界的贡献鲜为人知。

Tā zài xuéshùjiè de gòngxiàn xiǎnwéi-rénzhī.

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 wéi

人 rén

知 zhī