無
not to have; no; none; not; to lack; un-; -less
Closest English meanings
none·nothing·without·not·void
The Calligrapher — Cài Xiāng 蔡襄
One of the Four Song masters, known for graceful regular and running script.
Song calligrapher (1012–1067), master of regular script/running script — Song master of warm, disciplined regular script, the most 'proper' of the Song Four. Song dynasty
Cultural Story
無 is 'nothing,' the original form of 舞, a figure dancing in ritual. The 道德经 crowns 無 as the womb of all things — the emptiness that makes a vessel useful. Zhuangzi laughed at 無, and Chan Buddhism sat in it. The character is the fertile void, the space before form, the wisdom that what is not there shapes what is.
Common words & phrases
- 虚无 void · nothingness · empty · vanity
- 無常 impermanence · inconstant · changeable
- 無尽 endless · boundless · infinite
- 無名 nameless · anonymous · obscure
- 無声 soundless · silent · noiseless
- 無边 boundless · limitless · vast
Read the story behind the character
You speak of 虚无 when life feels empty, and 無常 reminds us nothing lasts — a favorite in reflective posts. A song praises 無尽 love, a monk sits in 無声 stillness, and 無边 horizons stretch in travel photos. From a philosophy class to a breakup caption, 無 names the absence and freedom modern hearts both fear and seek.
Own this character
Purchase delivers the original SVG of this glyph, brushed by Cài Xiāng 蔡襄, ready to place on skin, paper, or screen.