Nihongo

Kanji Detail of 無

Level:N2 Mid
Strokes:12
Stroke Order
Related Words
AI Explanation
Basic Meaning

The kanji primarily conveys the idea of "nothingness," "absence," "without," or "non-existence." It represents a state of being devoid of something, lacking, or the opposite of having or possessing. It can also imply the negation of something, indicating its lack of presence or its cancellation.

Readings

・On-yomi (音読み): (mu) ・Kun-yomi (訓読み): ない (nai)

Usage Examples

⚫︎無料 Translation: Free (of charge) ⚫︎無理 Translation: Impossible; unreasonable ⚫︎無事 Translation: Safety; without incident

Correspondence with Your Native Language

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Origin and Formation

The kanji is a phono-semantic compound (形声文字). The upper part represents a dance or performance, and the lower part is a fire. However, it eventually evolved to its current form, with the bottom part representing the "fire" element, while the top has lost its direct connection to the original components and came to represent an empty space. This visually reflects the concept of absence, emptiness, or non-existence.

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