无 meaning and stroke order
Not to have; no; none
How to write 无, stroke by stroke
4 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
Meaning of 无
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- not to have
- no
- none
- not
- to lack
- un-
- used in 南無|南无[na1 mo2]
How 无 is built
Components of the character.
How to remember 无
无 is built from 一 on top of 尢. Picture a line 一 drawn over a figure 尢 to cross it out, so what was there is now gone: none, without.
无 (wú) is more formal and written than 没有 (méiyǒu), and it often works like the English suffix -less or prefix un-. It appears in many fixed words such as 无法 (wúfǎ), 无聊 (wúliáo) and 无论 (wúlùn). Example: 我无法回答这个问题。(Wǒ wúfǎ huídá zhège wèntí.) I am unable to answer this question.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 无 with 天 (tiān, sky) or 夫 (fū, man). In 无 the last two strokes bend to the right like 尢, and the vertical part does not poke through the top line. Also avoid using 无 alone in casual speech where 没有 sounds natural, for example say 我没有钱, not 我无钱.
Common words with 无
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 无法 | wúfǎ | unable to; incapable of | HSK 4 |
| 无论 | wúlùn | no matter what or how; regardless of whether... | HSK 4 |
| 无聊 | wúliáo | bored; boring | HSK 4 |
| 无所谓 | wúsuǒwèi | to be indifferent; not to matter | HSK 4 |
| 无数 | wúshù | countless; numberless | HSK 4 |
| 无限 | wúxiàn | unlimited; unbounded; infinite | HSK 4 |
| 无疑 | wúyí | undoubtedly; without doubt | HSK 5 |
| 无奈 | wúnài | to have no alternative; frustrated | HSK 5 |
| 无关 | wúguān | unrelated; having nothing to do (with sth else) | HSK 6 |
| 无效 | wúxiào | not valid; ineffective | HSK 6 |
| 无边 | wúbiān | without boundary; not bordered | HSK 6 |
| 无辜 | wúgū | blameless; innocent; the innocent | HSK 7-9 |
| 无论如何 | wúlùn-rúhé | (idiom) whatever the case; in any event; no matter what; by all possible means | HSK 7-9 |
| 毫无 | háo wú | not in the least; to completely lack | HSK 7-9 |
无 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 无
Learning 无 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 无
How many strokes are in 无?
无 is written with 4 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 无 mean?
无 (wú) means not to have; no; none. A common word with it is 无法 (wúfǎ), meaning "unable to; incapable of".
How do you pronounce 无?
无 is pronounced wú, in the second tone (rising).
What is the traditional form of 无?
The traditional form of 无 is 無. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 无 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 无 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 无 is part of the HSK 4 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 2.
What is the difference between 无 and 没有?
Both mean not having something. 没有 (méiyǒu) is the everyday spoken choice, while 无 (wú) is more formal, literary, and common in set words and idioms like 无数 (wúshù) and 无所谓 (wúsuǒwèi).
Why is 无 sometimes read mó?
The reading mó is used only in the Buddhist phrase 南无 (nāmó), a sound transcription meaning to pay homage, as in 南无阿弥陀佛. Everywhere else, read it wú.