Definitions
(adjective)
no; not to have; none; to lack
(prefix)
-less; un-
About
The character "无", meaning "not have" or "non-existence", originates from the traditional and more complex form "無", which itself is a pictographic representation of a person holding dance plumes or streamers, suggesting a ritual performance intended to invoke what is absent or unseen, thus conceptually linking to a state of lack. Over time, this concrete ritualistic meaning generalized into the abstract negation of possession or being. The simpler form "无" is not a modern invention but an ancient variant, found notably in early philosophical Daoist texts where it was employed to denote the metaphysical concept of "non-being" or the void. Structurally, while "無" contains elements associated with fire and vegetation within its composition, the variant "无" shed these pictorial components entirely, resulting in a form that is both graphically minimalist and conceptually aligned with the emptiness it signifies. This coexistence of forms allowed the simpler "无" to carry forward the core abstract and philosophical meanings of negation, while the traditional "無" historically retained a broader connection to its original connotations of disappearance and the ritualistic realm.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
我对此事无能为力。
今天真是无聊的一天。
他对这个提议毫无兴趣。
这个消息目前无法确认。
房间里空无一人。
警方表示无可奉告。
他的论证严密，无懈可击。
他无私地帮助他人，从不求回报。