Related words 不 is a more general negative prefix meaning 'not' or 'non-', while 未 specifically means 'not yet', emphasizing that something is incomplete or hasn't happened yet.
非 forms words meaning 'non-' or 'anti-' with a stronger sense of opposition, whereas 未 focuses on something not yet having occurred or being unfinished.
Opposites 既に means 'already' (something has happened), the opposite of 未 , which marks something as 'not yet' having happened.
未 is a prefix meaning 'not yet' (as in 未完 ), the opposite of 完 's sense of something being finished or fully done.
Don't confuse with Both み and さ attach to adjective stems to make nouns, but さ gives an objective, measurable degree (高さ = height as a measurement) while み gives a more subjective, sensory quality (高み = a lofty place/height as felt).
末 (すえ , 'end') and 未 (み , 'not yet') look almost identical but differ by one stroke and have opposite meanings related to time.
末 and 未 look almost identical, differing by one stroke, but 末 means 'end' while 未 means 'not yet', as in 未来 (the future).
未 means 'not yet' in a temporal sense, as in 未完成 , while 非 carries no time meaning and instead marks something as outside a category, as in 非公式 .
Word family· 125 future; time to come · future existence; world beyond the grave · future tense
less than; under; below
minor; underage person; being under age
unknown; not yet known; strange
attempt; failed attempt
Show 25 more Show fewer undecided; not yet fixed; pending
widow
unmarried; not yet married
early dawn; grey of morning
lingering attachment; regret; reluctance to let go
before it happens; in advance; preventive
unpaid; outstanding; overdue
uncivilized; primitive; savage · undeveloped; unexplored; uncharted · unbloomed; not yet open
unread; not yet read
incomplete; unfinished
untrodden; unexplored
unprecedented; unheard-of; record-breaking
unpaid; overdue; in arrears
unseen; not yet seen; unknown
pending; undecided; unsettled · unconvicted; awaiting judgment
uncollected; outstanding; accrued
not yet arrived; unarrived
unknown; unidentified; not yet clarified
unfinished; uncompleted; unexecuted
uncompleted; unfinished; crude
unripe; green; immature (fruit/plant) · immature; inexperienced; unskilled
unused; not yet used
incomplete; unfinished; imperfect
unpublished; unreleased; not yet made public
inexperienced; without experience
See all 125 in Explore →
Written forms 未み Usage 99%
Standard kanji spelling for this prefix.
み Usage 1%
Etymology From the kanji 未 , which originally depicted a tree with new branches, symbolizing 'not yet' or 'immature'. The prefix use derives from this meaning.
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