不
KanjiJLPT N5
Negative
negative, non-, bad, ugly, clumsy
Mnemonic
A horizontal stroke with descending lines — meaning negative or negation.
Details
The keyword for 不 is negative. This kanji serves as a general-purpose prefix of negation, similar to the English prefixes "un-," "in-," or "non-." It is placed before other characters to negate or deny their meaning, expressing the absence or opposite of a quality or state. It is one of the most frequently used characters in Japanese and Chinese, functioning as a fundamental building block for expressing negative concepts.
- On'yomi
- ふ、ぶ