不
negative · non- · bad · ugly · clumsy
Details
Stroke Order
Cultural Context
Etymology
Shape of flower bud not opening. Represents negation.
Symbolism
Impossible, dissatisfied, unhappy. Represents negation and lack.
Words & Expressions
Four-Character Compounds
一心不乱
いっしんふらん
wholeheartedly; with heart and soul; intently; wholeheartedly
堅忍不抜
けんにんふばつ
indomitable perseverance; invincible fortitude; indomitable perseverance
人事不省
じんじふせい
unconsciousness; unconsciousness
前後不覚
ぜんごふかく
unconsciousness; having no recollection of one's actions; unconsciousness
直立不動
ちょくりつふどう
standing at attention; standing stiffly upright; standing at attention
難攻不落
なんこうふらく
impregnable; impregnable
半身不随
はんしんふずい
hemiplegia (paralysis on one side of the body); hemiplegia (paralysis on one side of the body)
不可抗力
ふかこうりょく
act of God; irresistible force; inevitability; act of God
不可思議
ふかしぎ
mystery; something inexplicable; wonder; mystery
不倶戴天
ふぐたいてん
cannot allow (oneself) to live (with someone) under the canopy of heaven; cannot allow (the sworn enemy) to live in this world; irreconcilable (enemy); cannot allow (oneself) to live (with someone) under the canopy of heaven
不言実行
ふげんじっこう
action before words; work before talk; action before words
不言不語
ふげんふご
silence; silence
不在証明
ふざいしょうめい
alibi; alibi
不承不承
ふしょうぶしょう
reluctantly; grudgingly; unwillingly; reluctantly
不即不離
ふそくふり
neutral; noncommittal; neutral
不得要領
ふとくようりょう
vague; ambiguous; noncommittal; vague
不平不満
ふへいふまん
discontent and grumbling; discontent and grumbling
不偏不党
ふへんふとう
impartiality; neutrality; independence; impartiality
不眠不休
ふみんふきゅう
no sleep or rest; working day and night; no sleep or rest
不労所得
ふろうしょとく
unearned income; investment income; passive income; unearned income
不老不死
ふろうふし
perpetual youth and longevity; immortality; perpetual youth and longevity
不撓不屈
ふとうふくつ
tenacity; indomitableness; dauntlessness; tenacity
不羈奔放
ふきほんぽう
free-spirited and uninhibited; free-spirited and uninhibited
奔放不羈
ほんぽうふき
free-spirited and uninhibited; free-spirited and uninhibited
万世不易
ばんせいふえき
eternity; perpetuity; eternity
万代不易
ばんだいふえき
eternity; perpetuity; eternity
門外不出
もんがいふしゅつ
(treasuring something by) never taking (it) off the premises; (treasuring something by) never taking (it) off the premises
優柔不断
ゆうじゅうふだん
indecisive; irresolute; shilly-shally; indecisive
傲慢不遜
ごうまんふそん
haughty; arrogant; overbearing; haughty
不協和音
ふきょうわおん
discord; dissonance; cacophony; discord
音信不通
おんしんふつう
break in contact; not hearing from; having no communication with; break in contact
不法行為
ふほうこうい
tort; illegal act; illegal activity; tort
傲岸不遜
ごうがんふそん
haughty arrogance; haughty arrogance
霊魂不滅
れいこんふめつ
immortality of the soul; immortality of the soul
大胆不敵
だいたんふてき
daring; fearless; audacious; daring
面向不背
めんこうふはい
flawless; flawless
確固不動
かっこふどう
unshakeable (e.g. belief); invincible; steadfastness; unshakeable (e.g. belief)
老少不定
ろうしょうふてい
death comes to old and young alike; uncertainty of life; death comes to old and young alike
一所不住
いっしょふじゅう
vagrant; transient lifestyle; vagrant
確固不抜
かっこふばつ
determined; steadfast; unswerving; determined
千古不易
せんこふえき
eternally unchanging; eternally unchanging
千古不滅
せんこふめつ
everlasting; unchangeable; immortal; everlasting
相即不離
そうそくふり
strongly attached to each other; inseparable; strongly attached to each other
知者不惑
ちしゃふわく
a wise person always follows the right course; a wise man never wavers; a wise person always follows the right course
独立不羈
どくりつふき
acting according to one's own beliefs, being undisturbed by others; acting according to one's own beliefs, being undisturbed by others
不朽不滅
ふきゅうふめつ
everlasting; eternal; immortal; everlasting
不惜身命
ふしゃくしんみょう
devoting one's body and soul to Buddhist teachings; unsparing devotion to Buddhism; devoting one's body and soul to Buddhist teachings
不老長寿
ふろうちょうじゅ
perpetual youth and longevity; perpetual youth and longevity
不埒千万
ふらちせんばん
very insolent; extremely audacious; reprehensible; very insolent
万古不易
ばんこふえき
eternally unchanging; eternally unchanging
狷介不羈
けんかいふき
stubbornly sticking to one's own convictions; being stubbornly independent; stubbornly sticking to one's own convictions
不立文字
ふりゅうもんじ
Buddhist revelation through intuitive discernment; Spiritual awakening cannot be experienced with words and letters; Spiritual enlightenment can be attained only by means of communion of mind with mind (Zen Buddhism); Buddhist revelation through intuitive discernment
一生不犯
いっしょうふぼん
(strict) observance of the Buddhist precept of lifelong celibacy; (strict) observance of the Buddhist precept of lifelong celibacy
永久不変
えいきゅうふへん
permanence; forever unchanging; permanence
金剛不壊
こんごうふえ
firm and solid; sturdy and indestructible; unshakable; firm and solid
再起不能
さいきふのう
being beyond recovery; having no hope of recovery; being beyond recovery
四十不惑
しじゅうふわく
at age forty, one has no doubts; at age forty, one has no doubts
千古不磨
せんこふま
permanence; immortality; eternity; permanence
万夫不当
ばんぷふとう
being a match for thousands; being a mighty warrior (combatant); being a match for thousands
百折不撓
ひゃくせつふとう
indefatigability; indomitableness; indefatigability
不易流行
ふえきりゅうこう
the principle of fluidity and immutability in haiku; haiku is both fluid and transitory, and eternal and immutable; an interchange between the transient and the immutable is central to the soul of haiku; the principle of fluidity and immutability in haiku
不羈独立
ふきどくりつ
free and independent; free and independent
不屈不撓
ふくつふとう
indefatigability; indomitableness; with unremitting tenacity; indefatigability
不祥事件
ふしょうじけん
scandal; disgraceful incident; scandalous affair; scandal
唯一不二
ゆいいつふじ
one and only; unique; one and only
一文不通
いちもんふつう
total illiteracy; total illiteracy
頑冥不霊
がんめいふれい
stubborn and ignorant; stubborn and ignorant
常住不断
じょうじゅうふだん
ceaseless; constant; uninterrupted; ceaseless
常住不滅
じょうじゅうふめつ
everlasting; forever unchanging; undying; everlasting
不知不識
ふちふしき
being unaware of what one is doing; being unaware of what one is doing
求不得苦
ぐふとくく
the pain of not getting what one seeks; the pain of not getting what one seeks
永垂不朽
えいすいふきゅう
one's fame or achievements being passed down eternally; one's fame or achievements being passed down eternally
文武不岐
ぶんぶふき
scholarship and swordsmanship are one and the same; the literary and the military are the same path; scholarship and swordsmanship are one and the same
轗軻不遇
かんかふぐう
being neglected by the world; being denied one's deserved recognition and status; being neglected by the world
不老長生
ふろうちょうせい
perpetual youth and longevity; long life without growing old; perpetual youth and longevity