无 wú have not
have not; without
How to remember 无: 一 one + 尢 lame = have not. Only leg one is lame, yet the old racehorse still dreams of winning, though everybody knows its old legs have not got a chance.
Component breakdown
无 = 一 one + 尢 lame
- 一 one
- 尢 lame
Only leg one is lame, yet the old racehorse still dreams of winning, though everybody knows its old legs have not got a chance.
How it came to be
A dancer with streamers in both hands, in the full form. It was borrowed for the word 'not' and kept, so dancing had to be written again, with two feet added underneath.
How it is used
- Formal / literary 'have not / without,' the counterpart to 有 - 无关 (wúguān) unrelated, 无数 (wúshù) countless, 无限 (wúxiàn) unlimited.
- 无论 (wúlùn) 'no matter' introduces the 无论…都 pattern; 无法 (wúfǎ) 'unable to.'
- More written than 没有; common in fixed four-character phrases and compounds.
Characters built with 无
Words with 无
- 无论wúlùnno matter whatHSK 4
- 无聊wúliáononsenseHSK 4
- 无法wúfǎunable toHSK 4
- 无关wúguānunrelatedHSK 5
- 无奈wúnàito have no alternativeHSK 5
- 无效wúxiàonot validHSK 5
- 无数wúshùcountlessHSK 5
- 无限wúxiànunlimitedHSK 5
- 无所谓wúsuǒwèito be indifferentHSK 6
- 无疑wúyíundoubtedlyHSK 6
- 毫无háowúnot in the leastHSK 6
- 一事无成yíshì-wúchéngto have achieved nothingHSK 7
- 一无所有yìwúsuǒyǒunot having anything at all (idiom)HSK 7
- 一无所知yìwúsuǒzhīnot knowing anything at allHSK 7
- 万无一失wànwú-yìshīsurefireHSK 7
- 史无前例shǐwúqiánlìunprecedented in historyHSK 7
- 无不wúbùnone lackingHSK 7
- 无从wúcóngnot to have accessHSK 7
- 无关紧要wúguān-jǐnyàoindifferentHSK 7
- 无力wúlìpowerlessHSK 7
- 无可厚非wúkěhòufēiunderstandable; not to be blamedHSK 7
- 无微不至wúwēi-búzhìin every possible way (idiom)HSK 7
- 无情wúqíngpitilessHSK 7
- 无意wúyìinadvertentHSK 7
- 无所事事wúsuǒshìshìto have nothing to doHSK 7
- 无所作为wúsuǒzuòwéiattempting nothing and accomplishing nothingHSK 7
- 无故wúgùwithout cause or reasonHSK 7
- 无条件wútiáojiànunconditionalHSK 7
- 无比wúbǐincomparableHSK 7
- 无济于事wújìyúshìto no availHSK 7
- 无理wúlǐirrationalHSK 7
- 无知wúzhīignorantHSK 7
- 无穷wúqióngendlessHSK 7
- 无线wúxiànwirelessHSK 7
- 无能wúnéngincompetenceHSK 7
- 无能为力wúnéngwéilìpowerless to do anything about itHSK 7
- 无论如何wúlùn-rúhéwhatever the caseHSK 7
- 无话可说wúhuà-kěshuōto have nothing to say (idiom)HSK 7
- 无边无际wúbiān-wújìboundlessHSK 7
- 无非wúfēionlyHSK 7
Example sentences
- 室内无人。 Shìnèi wú rén.There is nobody in the room.
- 学习数学很无聊。 Xuéxí shùxué hěn wúliáo.Studying Math is very boring.
- 无论天气如何，他都去跑步。 Wúlùn tiānqì rúhé, tā dōu qù pǎobù.No matter what the weather, he always goes jogging.