Definitions
surname Wu
(literary) no; don't; to not have; nobody
Etymology
Originally written and pronounced the same as 母 (mother). Later it was slightly altered so the two characters could be distinguished.
About
The character "毋" originated as a graphical modification of the character for "mother" (母), created by removing the two dots representing breasts to form a distinct graph with a prohibitive meaning. This alteration produced a character whose primary function from early classical texts onward was to express negation or prohibition, equivalent to "do not" or "shall not", thereby completely shedding its original association with maternity. Structurally, it is often analyzed as depicting a person with arms folded in a restraining gesture, reinforcing its forbidding connotation. Over time, its usage became fixed in literary and formal commands, and it persists in modern written Chinese almost exclusively in this negative imperative sense, sometimes appearing in compound words or classical idioms where it reinforces a sense of denial or prevention.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
请毋打扰。
毋以善小而不为。
他的能力毋庸置疑。
对此结果，我毋宁感到失望。
毋须为这些琐事烦心。
父母毋须过分担忧子女的未来。
在原则问题上，我们毋作任何妥协。
面对此等无端指控，他毋乃保持沉默。