不
no; not so; (bound form) not; un-
4 strokes
Dict coverage rank #1 U+4E0D
How 不 is formed
Ideographic compound (会意字)
A bird flying toward the sky 一
How to remember it
no · Heisig RSH #991
ceiling + 人 person + a drop of — as a component also called: no symbol
Keyword method from Heisig's Remembering Simplified Hanzi.
Characters built with 不 as their sound component
These characters all use 不 (bù) as their phonetic component — compare how they read:
| Character | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 不 sound component | bù | no, not, un-; negative prefix |
| 环 | huán | bracelet, ring; to surround, to loop |
| 怀 | huái | bosom, breast; to carry in one's bosom |
| 坏 | huài | bad, rotten, spoiled; to break down |
| 杯 | bēi | cup, glass; measure word for liquids |
| 罘 | fú | a screen used in ancient times |
| 钚 | bù | plutonium |
Words containing 不
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 不大 | bù dà | not very (clear, far away etc); not too; not often; infrequently |
| 不一 | bù yī | to vary; to differ |
| 无人不 | wú rén bù | no man is not... |
| 不无 | bù wú | not without |
| 无不 | wú bù | none lacking; none missing; everything is there; everyone without exception |
| 不儿 | bú r | (coll.) no (contracted form of 不是[bu4 shi4]) |
| 一不小心 | yī bù xiǎo xīn | to be a little bit careless; to have a moment of inattentiveness; accidentally |
| 不一会 | bù yī huì | soon |
| 不动 | bù dòng | motionless |
| 一动不动 | yī dòng bù dòng | motionless |
| 不行 | bù xíng | won't do; be out of the question; be no good; not work; not be capable |
| 不会 | bù huì | improbable; unlikely; will not (act, happen etc); not able; not having learned to do sth; … |
| 不安 | bù ān | unpeaceful; unstable; uneasy; disturbed; restless; worried |
| 心口不一 | xīn kǒu bù yī | heart and mouth at variance (idiom); keeping one's real intentions to oneself; saying one … |
| 不克 | bù kè | cannot; to not be able (to); to be unable to |
| 动不动 | dòng bu dòng | (typically followed by 就[jiu4]) apt to (lose one's temper, catch a cold etc); at the drop … |
| 不分 | bù fēn | not to distinguish; to make no distinction; (LGBT slang) versatile (open to either penetra… |
| 不人道 | bù rén dào | inhuman |
| 不公 | bù gōng | unjust; unfair |
| 会不会 | huì bù huì | (posing a question: whether sb, something) can or cannot?; is able to or not |