無: the kanji for nothingness; none
無 is a Jōyō kanji that means nothingness; none. Below are its readings, 6 common words and example sentences, all with audio.
Stroke order
無 is written in 12 strokes. The red stroke is the one to write next, and the dot shows where it starts.
Words by reading
無 has 3 readings in the official Jōyō Kanji Table. Below are 6 common words grouped by reading. Tap ▶ to hear each word (audio plays with a free account).
ム (mu)
On reading.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 無料むりょう · muryō | free of charge |
| 無理むり · muri | impossible; too much |
| 無視むし · mushi | ignoring |
ブ (bu)
On reading.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 無事ぶじ · buji | safe; without trouble |
| 無難ぶなん · bunan | safe; acceptable |
ない (nai)
Kun reading.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 無くすなくす · nakusu | to lose |
Example sentences for work and daily life
- 入場は無料です。Nyūjō wa muryō desu.Admission is free.
- 無理をしないでください。Muri o shinaide kudasai.Please don't push yourself too hard.
- 無事に着きました。Buji ni tsukimashita.I arrived safely.
- 財布を無くしてしまいました。Saifu o nakushite shimaimashita.I lost my wallet.
- 信号を無視してはいけません。Shingō o mushi shite wa ikemasen.You must not ignore traffic lights.
Questions about 無
How many strokes does 無 have?
無 is written in 12 strokes. The stroke order is shown at the top of this page.
What are the readings of 無?
The on readings are mu (ム), bu (ブ). The kun readings are nai (ない).
What JLPT level is 無?
無 is a Jōyō kanji, but it is not in the N5–N1 kanji lists on this site. The JLPT does not publish official kanji lists, so other study materials may place 無 at a JLPT level.
About the JLPT level
無 is one of the 2,136 kanji in the official Jōyō Kanji Table, but it is not in the N5–N1 kanji lists on this site. The JLPT does not publish official lists of kanji for each level. Our lists are a guide based on the official Test Content Specifications used for the test through 2009 and on the levels that several learning sites agree on, so other study materials may place 無 at a JLPT level. See the list of Jōyō kanji outside our JLPT lists.
More Jōyō kanji
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Sources
- Jōyō Kanji Table (常用漢字表), Agency for Cultural Affairs, Government of Japan, 2010: readings and special readings of 無
- JLPT Frequently Asked Questions, The Japan Foundation and Japan Educational Exchanges and Services: how current levels match the former levels
- Stroke order diagrams are based on KanjiVG by Ulrich Apel, used under CC BY-SA 3.0. The diagrams on this page are shared under the same license.