無: not; lack; -less

 

無 [无] wú

adjective
: not to have
: no; none; not; negative
: to lack
: un-; -less

Kun Reading

無い | ない nai

adjective
: (Usually written using kana alone) nonexistent; not being (there)
: unpossessed; unowned; not had
: unique
: indicates negation, inexperience, unnecessariness or impossibility; (Auxiliary adjective) (after the ren’youkei form of an adjective) not …
: (after the -te form of a verb) to not be…; to have not …

無し | なし nashi

noun | noun suffix
: without

無き | なき naki

noun or verb acting prenominally | suffix
: -less (often used after one word to modify another, e.g. soulless body); lacking; non-existing

無げ | なげ nage

na-adjective
: appearing as if something doesn’t exist; casual; offhand

 Usage:

無[无]非 wu2fei1: only; nothing else

無[无]事 wu2shi4: to have nothing to do
[無事 | ぶじ buji: safety; peace; quietness]

無[无]理 wu2li2: irrational; unreasonable
[無理 | むり muri: unreasonable; impossible; overdoing]

無[无]恥 wu2chi3: shameless [無恥 | むち muchi]

無[无]知 wu2zhi1: ignorant
[無知 | むちmuchi: ignorance; innocence; stupidity] 

[無知の知| むちのち muchi no chi: wisdom to realize one’s own ignorance] [無知文盲|むちもんもう muchi monmou: ignorant & illiterate] [無知は幸福 | むちはこうふく muchi wa koufuku: ignorance is bliss

無論 [无论] wu2lun4: no matter what
[無論 | むろん muron: of course; naturally]

無數 [无数] wu2shu4; countless; numberless; innumerable
[無数 | むすう musuu: countless number; infinite number; innumerable]

無[无]比 wu2bi3: incomparable; matchless
[無比 | むひ muhi: peerless; unparalleled]

無[无]措 wu2cuo4: helpless

無[无]限 wu2xian4: unlimited [無限 | むげん mugen: infinite]

無線電 [无线电] wu2xian4 dian4: wireless
[無線電話 | むせんでんわ musen denwa: cordless telephone; wireless telephone]  
近距離無線通信 | きんきょりむせんつうしん kinkyori musen tsuushin
: short-range wireless communication; near field communication; NFC

無[无]法 wu2fa3: unable [無法 | むほう muhou: lawlessness]

無[无]情 wu2qing2: pitiless; ruthless; heartless
[無情 | むじょう mujou]

無[无]疑 wu2yi2: no doubt; undoubtedly

尚無shang4wu2: not yet; not so far

毫無[无] hao2wu2: not in the least; to completely lack

全無[无] quan2wu2: none; completely without

別無 [别无] bie2wu2: to have no other… (used in fixed expressions)
[別無く | べつなく betsunaku: irrespective (e.g. of age); without discrimination; without distinction]

Japanese common word | expression | yojijukugo 四字熟語 | idiom | proverb
無駄 | むだ muda: futile; pointless

無悪不造 | むあくふぞう muaku fuzou
: Do as much evil as one wants

無理難題 | むりなんだい muri nandai
: (yoji) unreasonable demand

他言無用 | たごんむよう tagon muyou
: (yoji) Not a word to anyone; Mum’s the word

天壌無窮 | てんじょうむきゅう tenjou mukyuu
: (yoji) as eternal as heaven and earth

*平安無事 | へいあんぶじ heian buji
: (yoji) peace and quiet; safe and peaceful; tranquil and uneventful

有名無名 | ゆうめいむめい yuumei mumei
: (yoji) well-known and unknown; somebodies and nobodies; both famous and humble

**純真無垢 | じゅんしんむく junshinmuku
: (yoji) pure; purity
OR
純粋無垢 | じゅんすいむく junsui muku
: (yoji) pure and innocent; immaculate

純一無雑 | じゅんいつむざつ junitsu muzatsu
: (yoji) pure and unadulterated; pure in heart; simple-hearted

***荒唐無稽 | こうとうむけい koutou mukei
: preposterous

遮二無二 | しゃにむに shani muni
: (yoji) desperately; recklessly; rush headlong

道中無事 | どうちゅうぶじ douchuu buji
: (yoji) safe journey

仕方が無い | しかたがない shikata ga nai
: it can’t be helped; it’s inevitable; it’s no use; can’t stand it; being impatient; being annoyed

心配ご無用 | しんぱいごむよう shinpai go muyou
: Don’t worry about it. There is nothing to fear. There is no need for anxiety. Everything is under control

無理しないで | むりしないで muri shinaide
: Don’t overwork yourself; Don’t overdo it

関係が無い | かんけいがない kankei ga nai
: unrelated; irrelevant; unconcerned; unconnected

間違い無し | まちがいなし machigai nashi
: certain; sure; doubtless

ご無理ごもっとも | ごむりごもっとも gomuri gomottomo
: you are unquestionably right

言うまでも無く | ゆうまでもなく yuumademonaku OR いうまでもなく iumademonaku
: obviously; as we all know; needless to say; of course; it goes without saying

足元にも及ば無い | あしもとにもおよばない ashimoto ni mo oyobanai
: to be no match for; to not hold a candle to

断るまでも無く | ことわるまでもなく kotowaruma demo naku
: needless to say

死人に口無し | しにんにくちなし shinin ni kuchi nashi
: dead men tell no tales

余の辞書に不可能という文字は無い | よのじしょにふかのうというもじはない
yo no jisho ni fukanou toiu moji wa nai
: the word impossible is not in my dictionary

便りの無いのは良い便り | たよりのないのはよいたより tayori no nai no wa yoi tayori
: No news is good news

例外の無い規則は無い | れいがいのないきそくはない reigai no nai kisoku wa nai
: (proverb) There is no rule without exceptions

孝行をしたい時分に親は無し | こうこうをしたいじぶんにおやはなし kou kou o shitai jibun ni oya wa nashi
: When you wish to be filial, your parents are gone

****勇将の下に弱卒無し | ゆうしょうのもとにじゃくそつなし yuushou no moto ni jakusotsu nashi
: there are no cowardly soldiers under a superior general

*****火の無いところに煙は立たない | ひのないところにけむりはたたない hi no nai tokoro ni kemuri wa tatanai
: (proverb) there’s no smoke without fire

稼ぐに追いつく貧乏無し | かせぐにおいつくびんぼうなし kasegu ni oitsuku binbou nashi
: Poverty is a stranger to industry

用心に越した事は無い | ようじんにこしたことはない youjin ni koshita koto wa nai
: You cannot be too careful

百害あって一利無し | ひゃくがいあっていちりなし hyakugaiatte ichirinashi
: all pain, no gain; doing no good and a lot of harm; having no redeeming features; being a complete disadvantage; a hundred harms and not a single gain

親は無くても子は育つ | おやはなくてもこはそだつ oya wa naku temo ko wa sodatsu
: Nature itself is a good mother

触らぬ神に祟り無し | さわらぬかみにたたりなし sawaranu kami ni tatari nashi
: let sleeping dogs lie; if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it

傍らに人無きがごとし | かたわらにひとなきがごとし katawara ni hito naki gagotoshi
: (proverb) behaving outrageously as though there were no one around; doing whatever one wants even though others may be watching

足の踏み場も無い | あしのふみばもない ashi no fumi bamo nai
: There’s no place to stand in

馬鹿に付ける薬は無い | ばかにつけるくすりはない baka ni tsukeru kusuri wa nai
: A born fool is never cured
OR
阿呆に付ける薬無し | あほうにつけるくすりなし ahou ni tsukeru kusuri nashi
: (proverb) there’s no medicine for stupidity

******鳥無き里の蝙蝠 | とりなきさとのこうもり tori naki sato no koumori
: a man among the geese when the gander is away; a one-eyed king in the land of the blind; a bat in a village without birds

無いものねだり | ないものねだり nai mono nedari
: (kana only) asking for the moon; asking for too much

無いよりはまし | ないよりはまし nai yori hamashi
: (kana only) better than a poke in the eye; better than none at all; better than nothing

Chinese expression | chengyu 成語 | idiom | proverb
無依無靠 [无依无靠] wu2 yi1 wu2 kao4
: no one to rely on; on one’s own; orphaned; left to one’s own devices

無價之寶 [无价之宝] wu2 jia4 zhi1 bao3
: priceless treasure

無可救藥 [无可救药] wu2 ke3 jiu4 yao4
: lit. no antidote is possible; incurable; incorrigible; beyond redemption

無法無天 [无法无天] wu2 fa3 wu2 tian1
: regardless of the law and of natural morality; maverick; undisciplined and out of control
OR
和尚打傘，無法無天 [和尚打伞，无法无天] he2 shang5 da3 san3 , wu2 fa3 wu2 tian1
: lit. like a monk holding an umbrella — no hair, no sky (punning on 髮|发 fa4 vs 法 fa3); fig. defying the law and the principles of heaven; lawless

無憂無慮 [无忧无虑] wu2 you1 wu2 lu:4
: carefree and without worries
OR
無牽無掛 [无牵无挂] wu2 qian1 wu2 gua4
: to have no cares; to be carefree

無時無刻 [无时无刻] wu2 shi2 wu2 ke4
: all the time; incessantly

無理取鬧 [无理取闹] wu2 li3 qu3 nao4
: to make trouble without reason; to be deliberately provocative

無話可說 [无话可说] wu2 hua4 ke3 shuo1
: to have nothing to say

無能為力 [无能为力] wu2 neng2 wei2 li4
: impotent; powerless; helpless

一無所有 [一无所有] yi1 wu2 suo3 you3
: not having anything at all; utterly lacking; without two sticks to rub together

人誰無過 [人谁无过] ren2 shei2 wu2 guo4
: Everyone makes mistakes

來去無蹤 [来去无踪] lai2 qu4 wu2 zong1
: come without a shadow, leave without a footprint; to come and leave without a trace

反臉無情 [反脸无情] fan3 lian3 wu2 qing2
: to turn one’s face against sb and show no mercy; to turn against a friend

安然無恙 [安然无恙] an1 ran2 wu2 yang4
: safe and sound; to come out unscathed (e.g. from an accident or illness)

*平安無事 [平安无事] ping2 an1 wu2 shi4
: safe and sound

獨一無二 du2 yi1 wu2 er4
: unique and unmatched; unparalleled

問心無愧 [问心无愧] wen4 xin1 wu2 kui4
OR
捫心無愧 [扪心无愧] men2 xin1 wu2 kui4
: lit. look into one’s heart, no shame; with a clear conscience

六親無靠 [六亲无靠] liu4 qin1 wu2 kao4
: orphaned of all one’s immediate relatives; no one to rely on; left to one’s own devices

忍無可忍 [忍无可忍] ren3 wu2 ke3 ren3
: more than one can bear; at the end of one’s patience; the last straw

濫殺無辜 [滥杀无辜] lan4 sha1 wu2 gu1
: willfully slaughter the innocent

有目無睹 [有目无睹] you3 mu4 wu2 du3
: has eyes but can’t see; unable or unwilling to see the importance of something; blind (to something great)

時日無多 [时日无多] shi2 ri4 wu2 duo1
: time is limited

福無雙至 [福无双至] fu2 wu2 shuang1 zhi4
: blessings never come in pairs

童言無忌 [童言无忌] tong2 yan2 wu2 ji4
: children’s words carry no harm

管教無方 [管教无方] guan3 jiao4 wu2 fang1
: unable to discipline a child; incapable of dealing with (unruly child)

**純真無垢 [纯真无垢] chun2 zhen1 wu2 gou4
: pure of heart

目中無人 [目中无人] mu4 zhong1 wu2ren2
: supercilious, haughty, condescending; considers everyone unworthy of you (or beneath you). consider everyone else beneath one; so arrogant that no-one else matters; condescending; to go about with one’s nose in the air

***荒唐無[无]稽 huang1 tang2 wu2 ji1
: preposterous

衣食無憂 [衣食无忧] yi1 shi2 wu2 you1
: not having to worry about clothes and food; to be provided with the basic necessities

貪婪無厭 [贪婪无厌] tan1 lan2 wu2 yan4
: avaricious and insatiable; greedy and never satisfied

舉世無雙 [举世无双] ju3 shi4 wu2 shuang1
: unrivaled; world number one; unique; unequaled

閒來無事 [闲来无事] xian2 lai2 wu2 shi4
: at leisure; idle; to have nothing to do

金無[无]足赤 jin1wu2 zu2chi4
: not all gold is sufficiently red; no one is perfect

進退無路 [进退无路] jin4 tui4 wu2 lu4
: to have no alternative

舉目無親 [举目无亲] ju3 mu4 wu2 qin1
: to look up and see no-one familiar; not having anyone to rely on; without a friend in the world

身無分文 [身无分文] shen1 wu2 fen1 wen2
: penniless

高枕無憂 [高枕无忧] gao1 zhen3 wu2 you1
: to sleep peacefully; (fig.) to rest easy; to be free of worries

求學無坦途 [求学无坦途] qiu2 xue2 wu2 tan3 tu2
: The path of learning can never be smooth. There is no royal road to learning

虎父無犬子 [虎父无犬子] hu3 fu4 wu2 quan3 zi3
: lit. father a lion, son cannot be a dog (honorific). With a distinguished father such as you, the son is sure to do well. like father, like son

龜笑鱉無尾 [龟笑鳖无尾] gui1 xiao4 bie1 wu2 wei3
: lit. a tortoise laughing at a soft-shelled turtle for having no tail; fig. the pot calling the kettle black

天無絕人之路 [天无绝人之路] tian1 wu2 jue2 ren2 zhi1 lu4
: Heaven never bars one’s way; don’t despair and you will find a way through. Never give up hope. Never say die.

死無葬身之地 [死无葬身之地] si3 wu2 zang4 shen1 zhi1 di4
: to die without a burial site; to die a pauper; a tragic end

來無影，去無蹤 [来无影，去无踪] lai2 wu2 ying3 , qu4 wu2 zong1
: lit. come without a shadow, leave without a footprint; to come and go without a trace

天下無難事，只怕有心人 [天下无难事，只怕有心人] tian1 xia4 wu2 nan2 shi4 , zhi3 pa4 you3 xin1 ren2
: lit. nothing is difficult on this earth, if your mind is set

天涯何處無芳草 [天涯何处无芳草] tian1 ya2 he2 chu4 wu2 fang1 cao3
: there are plenty more fish in the sea

害人之心不可有，防人之心不可無 [害人之心不可有，防人之心不可无] hai4 ren2 zhi1 xin1 bu4 ke3 you3 , fang2 ren2 zhi1 xin1 bu4 ke3 wu2
: refrain from hurting others, yet guard against those trying to hurt you (proverb)

上天無路，入地無門 [上天无路，入地无门] shang4 tian1 wu2 lu4 , ru4 di4 wu2 men2
: lit. there is no road to the sky, nor door into the earth; fig. to be at the end of one’s rope; to be trapped in a hopeless situation

人無遠慮，必有近憂 [人无远虑，必有近忧] ren2 wu2 yuan3 lu:4 , bi4 you3 jin4 you1
: He who gives no thought to far-flung problems soon finds suffering nearby (from Analects). Smug concentration on the here and now will lead to future sorrow.

****強將手下無弱兵 [强将手下无弱兵] qiang2 jiang4 shou3 xia4 wu2 ruo4 bing1
: there are no weak soldiers under a strong (good) general

有意栽花花不發，無心插柳柳成陰 [有意栽花花不发，无心插柳柳成阴] you3 yi4 zai1 hua1 hua1 bu4 fa1 , wu2 xin1 cha1 liu3 liu3 cheng2 yin1
: lit. you plant a garden and the flowers do not bloom, you poke a stick in the mud and it grows into a tree; fig. things do not always turn out as one would expect; well-laid plans may fail, and success may come where you least expect it
OR
無心插柳柳成陰 [无心插柳柳成阴] wu2 xin1 cha1 liu3 liu3 cheng2 yin1
: lit. idly poke a stick in the mud and it grows into a tree to shade you; (fig.) unintentional actions may bring unexpected success; also written 無心插柳柳成蔭|无心插柳柳成荫

戰無不勝，攻無不取 [战无不胜，攻无不取] zhan4 wu2 bu4 sheng4 , gong1 wu2 bu4 qu3
: to triumph in every battle and win every fight; all-conquering; ever victorious; nothing they can’t do

打蛇不死，後患無窮 [打蛇不死，后患无穷] da3 she2 bu4 si3 , hou4 huan4 wu2 qiong2
: beat the snake to death or it will cause endless calamity; nip the problem in the bud

*****空穴來風未必無因 [空穴来风未必无因] kong4 xue2 lai2 feng1 wei4 bi4 wu2 yin1
: wind does not come from an empty cave without reason; there’s no smoke without fire

瓜無滾圓，人無十全 [瓜无滚圆，人无十全] gua1 wu2 gun3 yuan2 , ren2 wu2 shi2 quan2
: no gourd is perfectly round, just as no man is perfect (proverb)

無事不登三寶殿 [无事不登三宝殿 wu2 shi4 bu4 deng1 san1 bao3 dian4
: lit. One doesn’t visit a temple without a cause. fig. to visit sb with an ulterior motive (esp. to ask for something); having a hidden agenda

無事獻殷勤，非姦即盜 [无事献殷勤，非奸即盗] wu2 shi4 xian4 yin1 qin2 , fei1 jian1 ji2 dao4
: one who is unaccountably solicitous is hiding evil intentions

落花有意，流水無情 [落花有意，流水无情] luo4 hua1 you3 yi4 , liu2 shui3 wu2 qing2
: lit. the falling flowers are yearning for love, but the heartless brook ripples on; fig. one side is willing, yet the other one remains indifferent (usually of unrequited love)

覆巢之下無完卵 [覆巢之下无完卵] fu4 chao2 zhi1 xia4 wu2 wan2 luan3
: lit. when the nest is upset no egg is left intact; fig. when one falls in disgrace the whole family is doomed

言者無意，聽者有心 [言者无意，听者有心] yan2 zhe3 wu2 yi4 , ting1 zhe3 you3 xin1
: to take a casual remark to heart

言者無罪，聞者足戒 [言者无罪，闻者足戒] yan2 zhe3 wu2 zui4 , wen2 zhe3 zu2 jie4
: don’t blame the speaker, take note of his warning; an exhortation to speak one’s mind without fear of reprisals, and with the expectation of being taken seriously

******山中無老虎，猴子稱大王 [山中无老虎，猴子称大王] shan1 zhong1 wu2 lao3 hu3 , hou2 zi5 cheng1 dai4 wang5
: in the country of the blind the one-eyed man is king

水至清則無魚，人至察則無徒 [水至清则无鱼，人至察则无徒] shui3 zhi4 qing1 ze2 wu2 yu2 , ren2 zhi4 cha2 ze2 wu2 tu2
: water that is too clear has no fish, and one who is too severe has no friends

知無不言，言無不盡 [知无不言，言无不尽] zhi1 wu2 bu4 yan2 , yan2 wu2 bu4 jin4
: not hiding anything he knows, not stopping before he has said it through; frank; outspoken

踏破鐵鞋無覓處，得來全不費工夫 [踏破铁鞋无觅处，得来全不费工夫] ta4 po4 tie3 xie2 wu2 mi4 chu4 , de2 lai2 quan2 bu4 fei4 gong1 fu5
: to travel far and wide looking for something, only to find it easily

花有重開日，人無再少年 [花有重开日，人无再少年] hua1 you3 chong2 kai1 ri4 , ren2 wu2 zai4 shao4 nian2
: a flower may blossom again, but a person cannot get young again (proverb)

飽食終日無所用心 [饱食终日无所用心] bao3 shi2 zhong1 ri4 wu2 suo3 yong4 xin1
: eat three square meals a day and do no work; be sated with food and remain idle

馬無夜草不肥，人無外快不富 [马无夜草不肥，人无外快不富] ma3 wu2 ye4 cao3 bu4 fei2 , ren2 wu2 wai4 kuai4 bu4 fu4
: a horse cannot get fat without an extra ration, a man cannot get rich without an extra income

神女有心，襄王無夢 [神女有心，襄王无梦] shen2 nu:3 you3 xin1 , xiang1 wang2 wu2 meng4
: lit. the fairy is willing, but King Xiang doesn’t dream; (said of a woman’s unrequited love)

窮在鬧市無人問，富在深山有遠親 [穷在闹市无人问，富在深山有远亲] qiong2 zai4 nao4 shi4 wu2 ren2 wen4 , fu4 zai4 shen1 shan1 you3 yuan3 qin1
: the poor are ignored in the busiest city; the rich will find relatives in the deepest mountain

老鼠拉龜，無從下手 [老鼠拉龟，无从下手] lao3 shu3 la1 gui1 , wu2 cong2 xia4 shou3
: like mice trying to pull a turtle, nowhere to get a hand grip; no clue where to start

*****蒼蠅不叮無縫蛋 [苍蝇不叮无缝蛋] cang1 ying5 bu4 ding1 wu2 feng4 dan4
: lit. flies do not attack an intact egg; fig. no smoke without a fire