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
堅忍不抜
けんにんふばつ
indomitable perseverance; invincible fortitude
人事不省
じんじふせい
unconsciousness
前後不覚
ぜんごふかく
unconsciousness; having no recollection of one's actions
直立不動
ちょくりつふどう
standing at attention; standing stiffly upright
難攻不落
なんこうふらく
impregnable
半身不随
はんしんふずい
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
不可思議
ふかしぎ
mystery; something inexplicable; wonder
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)
不言実行
ふげんじっこう
action before words; work before talk
不言不語
ふげんふご
silence
不在証明
ふざいしょうめい
alibi
不承不承
ふしょうぶしょう
reluctantly; grudgingly; unwillingly
不即不離
ふそくふり
neutral; noncommittal
不得要領
ふとくようりょう
vague; ambiguous; noncommittal
不平不満
ふへいふまん
discontent and grumbling
不偏不党
ふへんふとう
impartiality; neutrality; independence
不眠不休
ふみんふきゅう
no sleep or rest; working day and night
不労所得
ふろうしょとく
unearned income; investment income; passive income
不老不死
ふろうふし
perpetual youth and longevity; immortality
不撓不屈
ふとうふくつ
tenacity; indomitableness; dauntlessness
不羈奔放
ふきほんぽう
free-spirited and uninhibited
奔放不羈
ほんぽうふき
free-spirited and uninhibited
万世不易
ばんせいふえき
eternity; perpetuity
万代不易
ばんだいふえき
eternity; perpetuity
門外不出
もんがいふしゅつ
(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
傲慢不遜
ごうまんふそん
haughty; arrogant; overbearing
不協和音
ふきょうわおん
discord; dissonance; cacophony
音信不通
おんしんふつう
break in contact; not hearing from; having no communication with
不法行為
ふほうこうい
tort; illegal act; illegal activity
傲岸不遜
ごうがんふそん
haughty arrogance
霊魂不滅
れいこんふめつ
immortality of the soul
大胆不敵
だいたんふてき
daring; fearless; audacious
面向不背
めんこうふはい
flawless
確固不動
かっこふどう
unshakeable (e.g. belief); invincible; steadfastness
老少不定
ろうしょうふてい
death comes to old and young alike; uncertainty of life
一所不住
いっしょふじゅう
vagrant; transient lifestyle
確固不抜
かっこふばつ
determined; steadfast; unswerving
千古不易
せんこふえき
eternally unchanging
千古不滅
せんこふめつ
everlasting; unchangeable; immortal
相即不離
そうそくふり
strongly attached to each other; inseparable
知者不惑
ちしゃふわく
a wise person always follows the right course; a wise man never wavers
独立不羈
どくりつふき
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
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
不老長寿
ふろうちょうじゅ
perpetual youth and longevity
不埒千万
ふらちせんばん
very insolent; extremely audacious; reprehensible
万古不易
ばんこふえき
eternally unchanging
狷介不羈
けんかいふき
stubbornly sticking to one's own convictions; being stubbornly independent
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)
一生不犯
いっしょうふぼん
(strict) observance of the Buddhist precept of lifelong celibacy
永久不変
えいきゅうふへん
permanence; forever unchanging
金剛不壊
こんごうふえ
firm and solid; sturdy and indestructible; unshakable
再起不能
さいきふのう
being beyond recovery; having no hope of recovery
四十不惑
しじゅうふわく
at age forty, one has no doubts
千古不磨
せんこふま
permanence; immortality; eternity
万夫不当
ばんぷふとう
being a match for thousands; being a mighty warrior (combatant)
百折不撓
ひゃくせつふとう
indefatigability; indomitableness
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
不羈独立
ふきどくりつ
free and independent
不屈不撓
ふくつふとう
indefatigability; indomitableness; with unremitting tenacity
不祥事件
ふしょうじけん
scandal; disgraceful incident; scandalous affair
唯一不二
ゆいいつふじ
one and only; unique
一文不通
いちもんふつう
total illiteracy
頑冥不霊
がんめいふれい
stubborn and ignorant
常住不断
じょうじゅうふだん
ceaseless; constant; uninterrupted
常住不滅
じょうじゅうふめつ
everlasting; forever unchanging; undying
不知不識
ふちふしき
being unaware of what one is doing
求不得苦
ぐふとくく
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
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
轗軻不遇
かんかふぐう
being neglected by the world; being denied one's deserved recognition and status
不老長生
ふろうちょうせい
perpetual youth and longevity; long life without growing old
Anime & Manga
不滅のあなたへ
To Your Eternity
A well-known work with 不 in its Japanese title.
魔王学院の不適合者 ～史上最強の魔王の始祖、転生して子孫たちの学校へ通う～
The Misfit of Demon King Academy: History’s Strongest Demon King Reincarnates and Goes to School with His Descendants
A well-known work with 不 in its Japanese title.
青の祓魔師 京都不浄王篇
Blue Exorcist: Kyoto Saga
A well-known work with 不 in its Japanese title.
望まぬ不死の冒険者
The Unwanted Undead Adventurer
A well-known work with 不 in its Japanese title.
人間不信の冒険者たちが世界を救うようです
Ningen Fushin: Adventurers Who Don’t Believe in Humanity Will Save the World
A well-known work with 不 in its Japanese title.
Related Figures & Stories
Other kanji with the same meaning
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 不 mean in Japanese?
不 means negative, non-, bad, ugly, clumsy.
How do you read 不?
On'yomi: フ、ブ (FU, BU).
How many strokes does 不 have?
不 has 4 strokes. Its radical is 一 (one).
Is 不 a good kanji for a tattoo?
不 is one of the kanji most often chosen for tattoos. It means negative, non-, bad, ugly, clumsy. Read the full meaning and cultural background on this page first — some popular choices are deliberately dark.