Productive negative prefix attached to Sino-Japanese nouns and adjectives. Often corresponds to English un-, non-, in-, or dis-.
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未 negates in the sense of 'not yet' (未完成 'not yet complete'), while 不 negates a state or quality outright (不完全 'incomplete').
不 is the more common, everyday negative prefix (不便), while 無 is used in a narrower set of often more formal or specialized compounds.
不 is a common Sino-Japanese negative prefix found throughout standard vocabulary, whereas ノット appears mainly in trendy or IT/business loanword compounds.
不 is a Sino-Japanese negation prefix used in words like 不可能, whereas ノン is a lighter, more casual loanword prefix often attached to katakana or Western-derived words.
無 and 不 are both negative prefixes, but 無 negates the total absence of something (無関心 = indifference), while 不 negates a quality or expected state (不安 = unease), so learners often mix up which prefix a given noun takes.
不 is the everyday negative prefix used with ordinary adjectives like 不便 and 不安, while 非 is a stiffer, more formal prefix as in 非公式 and 非常識.
不 and 負 are both read ふ, but 不 is a negation prefix meaning 'not/un-' while 負 specifically denotes a mathematical negative value.
unclear; obscure; uncertain · unknown; unidentified · ignorance; lack of wisdom
anxiety; uneasiness; worry; insecurity
mysterious; strange; wonderful; marvelous · strangely; oddly; for some reason
shortage; lack; insufficiency · dissatisfaction; discontent; complaint
impossible
Standard kanji prefix; no kana-only spelling is practical for this bound form.
From Middle Chinese 不 (pjuw). Used as a negative prefix in Sino-Japanese vocabulary.
unhappiness; misfortune; disaster · death (of a relative); bereavement
real estate; immovable property
adultery; affair; immorality
impossible; incapable; unable · incompetence; inability · impotence · having no solution
displeasure; discomfort; unpleasantness · indisposition; ailment
wrong; bad; improper; inadvisable · not allowed; not possible · failing grade
unstable; insecure; precarious
flaw; defect; malfunction; bug · inconvenient; unsatisfactory
disadvantage; handicap; unfavorable position
absence; not being present · disregard; indifference; lack of consideration
illegal; unlawful · unjust; outrageous; unwarranted
inconvenient; unhandy
suspicion; doubt; questionable nature
insufficient; inadequate; imperfect
unfair; unjust; unreasonable
inconvenience; discomfort; lack of freedom · poverty; want; destitution · disability; impairment; inability
unpleasant; disagreeable; uncomfortable
poor condition; not working well; slump · failure; breakdown; collapse of talks
unsuitable; inappropriate; improper
unreasonable; irrational; outrageous; absurd
incomplete; imperfect; insufficient; dysfunctional