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March 24, 2026
无(無)wú(wu2)
The character 无 (wú) means 'not' or 'to lack.' It is commonly used to indicate the absence of something or to negate a statement. In various contexts, it can express a lack of quality or quantity, and it appears in both formal and informal language.
Strokes4Radical无Frequency#502DifficultyMedium
Cultural Note
The character 无 is often associated with philosophical concepts in Chinese culture, such as in Daoism where it denotes the idea of 'nothingness' or 'emptiness,' which is essential for understanding balance and harmony in life.
Memory Tip
Imagine a big 'W' with a 'U' underneath, representing 'without.' The 'W' looks like the wings of a bird that can't fly, symbolizing something that lacks ability or presence.
Meanings of 无
wú(wu2)
1-less
2not to have
Exercise 1 of 2
Listen & Choose the Meaning
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About 无
无Simplified
無Traditional
4Strokes
无Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#502Frequency Rank
HSK 2.0L4HSK 3.0L4IntermediateTOCFLL4HSKKL2CEFRB1
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AI Study Notes for 无
Memory Mnemonic
Imagine a big 'W' with a 'U' underneath, representing 'without.' The 'W' looks like the wings of a bird that can't fly, symbolizing something that lacks ability or presence.
Usage Notes
Learners often confuse 无 (wú) with 没 (méi), which also means 'not' but is used in different contexts. 无 is more formal and can be found in literary texts, while 没 is more common in spoken language. Pay attention to collocations like 无法 (wúfǎ, unable) and 无聊 (wúliáo, bored).
HSK Study Tips
At HSK Level 4, students should focus on using 无 in various sentence structures. It often appears in phrases that express negation or absence, so practice forming sentences that combine it with other verbs and nouns.
Cultural Note
The character 无 is often associated with philosophical concepts in Chinese culture, such as in Daoism where it denotes the idea of 'nothingness' or 'emptiness,' which is essential for understanding balance and harmony in life.
Common Mistakes
A common mistake is using 无 instead of 没 in sentences about past actions, such as saying '我无去过' instead of '我没去过' (I have not gone). Learners should remember that 无 is more abstract and not used for past actions.
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 无
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Originally a pictograph of a person (大) dancing with ornamental leather hides (革) hanging from his arms, conveying the meaning "dance". Later, two feet (舛) were added to the bottom of the character to form 舞 (dance), and 無 was borrowed for its s
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Grammar Patterns of 无
无 functions as a verb — the action or state of the sentence. The Chinese order is Subject + Verb + Object (我吃饭). Negate it with 不 (habitual / future) or 没(有) (completed action). Add aspect markers like 了, 过, 着 directly after the verb. It carries 8 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.
If the cortisone doesn't take, I may have to have surgery.
5
我拒绝接受帮助的时候时常显得粗鲁无礼。
wǒ jù jué jiē shòu bāng zhù de shí hòu shí cháng xiǎn dé cū lǔ wú lǐ。
I was often rude and ungracious in refusing help.
6
非常感谢您的体贴入微，我真的无以言表。
fēi cháng gǎn xiè nín de tǐ tiē rù wēi， ， wǒ zhēn de wú yǐ yán。
I can't tell you how much I appreciate your thoughtfulness.
7
我不该把我的公文包和相机包留在那儿无人看管。
wǒ bù gāi bǎ wǒ de gōng wén bāo hé xiāng jī bāo liú zài nà ér wú rén kàn guǎn。
I should not leave my briefcase and camera bag unguarded.
8
我知道那根本没什么大不了的，所以有些无动于衷。
wǒ zhī dào nà gēn běn méi shí mó dà bù le de， ， suǒ yǐ yǒu xiē wú dòng yú。
I know it's nothing serious and I feel quite unemotional about it.
9
他喋喋不休地说着某个无聊的电视连续剧。
tā dié dié bù xiū dì shuō zháo mǒu gè wú liáo de diàn shì lián xù jù。
He was carrying on about some stupid television series.
10
房间很安静，无人主动提供更多的信息。
fáng jiān hěn ān jìng， ， wú rén zhǔ dòng tí gōng gēng duō de xìn。
The room was quiet; no one volunteered any further information.
Cultural Notes for 无
💡Did you know?
'无' is often used in philosophical texts, especially in Daoism, to express the concept of 'nothingness' or 'the void'.
🏮Cultural insight
The character 无 is often associated with philosophical concepts in Chinese culture, such as in Daoism where it denotes the idea of 'nothingness' or 'emptiness,' which is essential for understanding balance and harmony in life.
📜Proverb
无欲则刚 (wú yù zé gāng) means 'Without desires, one is strong.' This emphasizes the importance of detachment from material desires in Chinese philosophy.
Word Family of 无
Compounds6
抚fu3to comfort
芜wu2weeds; overgrowth
妩wu3charming, enchanting; to flatter, to please
呒fu3unclear; an expletive
庑wu2corridor, hallway; luxuriant
怃wu3disappointed, regretful
Words Containing This Character20
无wúno無
无法wúfǎunable無法
无论wúlùnno matter what or how無論
无聊wúliáobored無聊
毫无háowúnot in the least毫無
无关wúguānunrelated無關
无辜wúgūinnocent無辜
无所谓wúsuǒwèito be indifferent無所謂
无数wúshùcountless無數
无疑wúyíno doubt無疑
无论如何wúlùnrúhéwhatever the case無論如何
无奈wúnàihelpless無奈
无比wúbǐincomparable無比
无限wúxiànunlimited無限
毫无疑问certainty毫無疑問
无产阶级proletariat無產階級
无效wúxiàonot valid無效
无线wúxiànwireless無線
无人unmanned無人
别无选择to have no other choice別無選擇
Exercise 1 of 4
Compound Meaning
What does 抚 mean?
Frequently Asked Questions about 无
无 (wú) and 没 (méi) both express negation but are used in different contexts. 无 is often used in formal or literary contexts, while 没 is more common in everyday speech. For example, '我没有' (wǒ méi yǒu) means 'I do not have,' whereas '我无' (wǒ wú) is a more formal way to express the same idea.
Yes, 无 (wú) appears in several idiomatic expressions in Chinese. For example, '无所不在' (wú suǒ bù zài) means 'to be everywhere,' indicating omnipresence. Learning these expressions can help enhance your understanding and fluency in the language.
无 (wú) translates to 'not to have,' 'no,' or 'none' in English. It is used to indicate the absence of something or to express negation. For example, in a sentence, it can mean 'I have none' or 'there is no option.'
无 (wú) can be used in various contexts to indicate absence or negation. For example, you can say '我无钱' (wǒ wú qián) meaning 'I have no money.' It can also be used in more complex structures, like '无所谓' (wú suǒ wèi), which means 'it doesn't matter.'
Common phrases include 无所谓 (wú suǒ wèi, it doesn't matter) and 无法 (wú fǎ, unable).
Yes, but it's more common in written or formal contexts; in daily conversation, 没 is often preferred.
Remember that 无 indicates a general lack or absence, while 没 often refers to not having something in a more specific context.
