無 meaning and stroke order
No, not; lacking, -less
How to write 無, stroke by stroke
12 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 無
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 無 is built
Components of the character.
Radical: 灬 (fire), shared by 28 characters on this site.
How to remember 無
The bottom of 無 is 灬, the four-dot fire component. Picture the top part burning away over that fire until nothing is left, which is why 無 (wú) means "none" or "to lack."
無 is the traditional form used in Taiwan and Hong Kong, while mainland China writes 无. It works like English "no" or "-less" and appears in many set words such as 無法 (wúfǎ, unable to) and 無聊 (wúliáo, bored). Example: 我今天很無聊。(Wǒ jīntiān hěn wúliáo.) I am really bored today.
Common mistake: Learners often use 無 like 不 (bù) or 沒有 (méiyǒu) in everyday speech, saying 我無錢 instead of 我沒有錢 (wǒ méiyǒu qián). 無 sounds formal or fixed and mostly lives inside compounds and written phrases.
Common words with 無
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 無法 | wúfǎ | unable to; incapable of | HSK 4 |
| 無論 | wúlùn | no matter what or how; regardless of whether... | HSK 4 |
| 無聊 | wúliáo | bored; boring | HSK 4 |
| 無所謂 | wúsuǒwèi | to be indifferent; not to matter | HSK 4 |
| 無數 | wúshù | countless; numberless | HSK 4 |
| 無限 | wúxiàn | unlimited; unbounded; infinite | HSK 4 |
| 無疑 | wúyí | undoubtedly; without doubt | HSK 5 |
| 無奈 | wúnài | to have no alternative; frustrated | HSK 5 |
| 無關 | wúguān | unrelated; having nothing to do (with sth else) | HSK 6 |
| 無效 | wúxiào | not valid; ineffective | HSK 6 |
| 無邊 | wúbiān | without boundary; not bordered | HSK 6 |
| 無辜 | wúgū | blameless; innocent; the innocent | HSK 7-9 |
| 無論如何 | wúlùn-rúhé | (idiom) whatever the case; in any event; no matter what; by all possible means | HSK 7-9 |
| 毫無 | háo wú | not in the least; to completely lack | HSK 7-9 |
Characters that contain 無
Learning 無 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 無
How many strokes are in 無?
無 is written with 12 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 無 mean?
無 (wú) means no, not; lacking, -less. A common word with it is 无法 (wúfǎ), meaning "unable to; incapable of".
How do you pronounce 無?
無 is pronounced wú, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 無?
The radical of 無 is 灬, which carries the idea of "fire". Dictionaries list 無 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 無?
無 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 无, used in mainland China and Singapore.
What is the difference between 無 and 沒有?
Both mean "not have," but 沒有 (méiyǒu) is the normal spoken choice. 無 is more literary and is mostly found in compounds like 無數 (wúshù, countless) or in formal writing and signs.
Why is 無 sometimes read mó?
The mó reading appears only in the Buddhist term 南無 (nāmó), a transliteration of a Sanskrit word meaning "homage to." You will see it in phrases like 南無阿彌陀佛. In all other words it is read wú.